jmigliano5 - Welcome to the Board ! Lots of good suggestions already. It’s great if you can find a local wine store that has an experienced wine buyer that can make recommendations but if that is not the case many of us do form relationships with distant stores as well. There is lots of very good wine out there to explore with great stories behind them. In general I would not invest heavily and narrowly into one varietal and region early on. As you do identify wines that peak your interest check for other vintages or bottlings to see if that producer still floats your boat. There are lots of threads on this Board exploring varietals and regions that will deliver suggestions to you. Since you seem to like pinot noir I would check some of the pinot noir threads on regional Bourgogne, Oregon, NZ, and other CA regional(like Santa Barbara Cty) wines that would expand your experience. I pick wines for several reasons but the underlying choice determinant for me is what foods I like so that I get that synergistic wine-food pairing. All of that is enhanced by enjoying wines with friends and family…especially if they love wine the way you do. Again welcome and enjoy the ride.