Taste as much wine as you can thru your travels, clubs, lists, wine groups, and informed individuals that can help you down the path to collecting and consuming the wines you want.
There’s plenty of wine in the $15.00-$25.00 category that drinks like it should cost 2x-3x.
One of my favorite questions when attending a wine event, is to ask what’s comparable to the higher priced wine at a fraction of the cost? The answers are interesting with an opportunity to try wines you wouldn’t of have encountered.
It takes time, patience and experience which you’re developing to find these wines. You know what you like. And remember tastes and preferences evolve, which is a good thing.
Being organized is also very powerful to manage expectations regarding your wine’s maturity lifecycle.
Using a wine app or even a simple spreadsheet to track anticipated maturity dates is helpful to over-see your wine inventory.