How to Find More Wines Similar to Ones You Already Like

Finding a wine you really enjoy is great. The frustrating part comes later when you stand in front of a wall of bottles wondering how to find something else like it. You do not need to memorize wine regions or become an expert at reading labels. If you can identify a few things about the wine you already like, you can narrow your options considerably. Here is how to use one good bottle as a starting point for finding more wines you will probably enjoy.

Start With the Wine You Already Know You Like

Before looking for something similar, write down the basics of the wine you enjoyed. At minimum, try to capture:

• The grape or blend

• The region or country

• Whether it felt light, medium or full-bodied

• Whether it tasted crisp, smooth, fruity, rich or bold

• The approximate price

• Whether you would buy it again

You do not need detailed tasting notes. Even something as simple as: “Smooth, medium-bodied red with lots of dark fruit. Not too dry. Around $18.” gives you useful information for your next purchase. If you want an easy structure for recording those details, our Wine Tasting Notes Template can help you capture what matters without overcomplicating it.

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Look for Similar Wine Styles, Not Just the Same Grape

One of the easiest mistakes when trying to find a similar wine is assuming you need to buy the exact same grape every time. The grape matters, but it is only part of the picture. Two Cabernet Sauvignons can taste very different depending on where they were grown, how ripe the grapes became, how much oak was used and how the wine was made. At the same time, two completely different grapes can have surprisingly similar styles. For example, if you enjoy a rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, you might also enjoy:

• Malbec

• Syrah or Shiraz

• Zinfandel

• Certain fuller-bodied red blends

If you like a bright, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, you might enjoy other refreshing whites with high acidity rather than limiting yourself to Sauvignon Blanc forever. Thinking in terms of style gives you far more options. If you are still figuring out what terms like crisp, smooth, rich or bold mean, start with our guide to Wine Styles Explained.

Pay Attention to Body

Body is one of the most useful clues when finding similar wines. Think about whether the wine felt:

• Light-bodied: refreshing, delicate and easy to drink

• Medium-bodied: somewhere between light and rich

• Full-bodied: heavier, richer and more powerful

If you love light-bodied reds, buying another light-bodied red gives you a better starting point than simply choosing any red wine. The same applies to white wine. Someone who loves a rich, creamy Chardonnay may not enjoy a very lean, citrusy white even though both bottles are technically white wine. Matching the overall weight and texture of the wine can get you surprisingly close to something you will enjoy.

Figure Out What You Actually Liked About It

This is where your personal preferences become more useful than a wine score. Ask yourself what stood out about the bottle. Was it:

• Very fruity?

• Smooth instead of tannic?

• Crisp and refreshing?

• Rich and creamy?

• Dry but not harsh?

• Bold and intense?

• Easy to drink with food?

You do not need the “correct” wine vocabulary. The goal is simply to identify the characteristics you want more of. If your notes consistently say things like smooth, fruity and medium-bodied, that pattern is much more useful than knowing one particular bottle received 92 points from a critic.

Use the Region as Another Clue

Once you know the grape and style, look at where the wine came from. Climate and winemaking traditions can influence how a wine tastes. For example, Chardonnay can range from lean and refreshing to rich and buttery depending on where and how it is produced. That means finding another Chardonnay from the same general region can sometimes give you a closer match than grabbing a random Chardonnay from somewhere else. You do not have to memorize every wine region. Just notice the region when you find something you really like. Over time, you might discover that several of your favorite wines happen to come from the same places.

Compare Wines Within the Same Price Range

Price is not a guarantee of quality, but it can still be useful when searching for similar bottles. If you loved a $17 wine, start by looking for comparable wines around that price rather than immediately jumping to a $50 bottle. You may find that a particular producer, region or wine style delivers exactly what you like within a comfortable price range.

This is also how you begin building a dependable group of wines rather than constantly starting from scratch. Our guide on How to Build a Go-To Wine Rotation explains how to turn those discoveries into a small collection of reliable bottles for different occasions.

Ask for Similar Characteristics at a Wine Shop

If you shop somewhere with knowledgeable staff, bring the name or a photo of the wine you liked. Instead of simply saying: “I liked this wine. What is similar?” give them one or two additional clues.

For example: “I liked this Cabernet because it was smooth, fruity and not overly tannic. I would like something similar under $25.” That gives the person helping you much more to work with. You can do the same thing at a restaurant when asking a server or sommelier for a recommendation.

Learn the Difference Between Similar Grapes

Sometimes figuring out what you like means comparing wines side by side. White wine provides a great example. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are both extremely popular, but they often appeal to different preferences. Chardonnay can range from crisp and mineral-driven to rich, creamy and oaky.

Sauvignon Blanc is usually lighter, brighter and more refreshing with citrus, herbal or tropical flavors. Understanding contrasts like these helps you determine whether you like a specific grape or a broader style of wine. If you are exploring white wine, our Chardonnay vs Sauvignon Blanc guide is a good place to start.

Do Not Forget the Most Important Question: Would You Buy It Again?

You can record dozens of details about a wine, but one question cuts through almost all of them: Would you buy it again? If the answer is yes, that bottle deserves to become part of your personal wine reference library. After a few months of tracking wines, patterns start appearing. Maybe most of your favorite reds are medium-bodied and fruit-forward. Maybe you consistently enjoy crisp white wines. Maybe you love Chardonnay but only when it is not heavily oaked. Those patterns make finding your next bottle much easier.

Turn the Wines You Like Into Better Recommendations

Somm Scribe helps you keep track of what you drink, what you enjoy and what you would buy again so your past tastings can actually help you choose your next bottle.

Final Sip

Finding similar wine does not require knowing everything about wine. Start with a bottle you already enjoy and look for a few similarities:

• Grape or blend

• Wine style

• Body

• Flavors you enjoyed

• Region

• Price range

Then keep track of what works. The more wines you taste, the easier it becomes to recognize your own preferences. Eventually, instead of wondering whether you will like a bottle, you will have a much better idea of what to look for before you buy it. And that is far more useful than memorizing a list of supposedly “good” wines.