However, he recommends doing the research before you venture out to make your purchases, so you'll be fully prepared to recognize all of the traits of a good brand.
"It's good if you can learn a little bit about labeling and then go back and label shop. If you are just label shopping without knowing anything about the labels it can be a little more dangerous. Really good wineries might have really poor labels and that's just because they didn't bother to spend any money hiring a design firm to design their labels."
He stresses that these wineries aren't necessarily acting careless,there is typically a financial reason behind their decision.
"They might do that on purpose because they want to save money and make their wines less expensive. So, just assuming that a nice label equals a nice bottle of wine is definitely not safe. That certainly occurs plenty of times but it's not the best way to go."
Cedrone also advises that you focus on the vintage year printed on the label.
"If it says 2002, that means that the wine should have been produced in the year that the vintage says. Sometimes that means that the grapes were actually grown in 2002, but the 2002 bottles won't come out for another couple of years because they have to undergo the process of aging."
So, what about the actual quality of the wine? Is there a way to differentiate an especially good variety from another that may be simply overpriced?
"As far as reading labels, every country usually has codes, which indicate different levels of standards that are required in order to achieve that label," says Cedrone. "So if a producer in Italy wants the DOCG label they have to do a certain things to adhere to the standards. There are lots of intricate rules that govern those things."
For beginners, though, these codes may appear foreign. Each different country uses acronyms that stand for different things. For those who are not familiar with the terminology, Cedrone recommends doing a little research.
"They can be found pretty easily on the web and in books to help you understand what the labels actually mean. With a little time and effort you can really arm yourself with a lot of knowledge about the labels and be a better wine buyer, especially if you can't taste the bottle before you buy it."
Beginners should keep in mind that choosing wine is not an exact science, even when armed with information about labels. Unless you're searching for a brand or variety that has been specifically recommended to you, trial and error will be your best method for determining what you like.
But as Cedrone says, as with any fact-finding mission, knowledge is power.
"It's good to know as much as you can possibly know before buying."
