Whether you’re headed to the computer, the store, or out to dinner tonight, there are plenty of options available to help you find the right wine for practically any occasion. My “lucky seven” sources, listed below, are just a few of the many resources available to help guide your selection.

1. Knowledgeable family, friends, and acquaintances. These are my best advisers and are worthy of mentioning first. I depend on you for hot tips, and it usually pays off with a delicious bottle of wine.

2. Media, as in books, magazines, and ezines. Books offer a wealth of information, but they don’t include the very latest vintages and recommendations (and not all wines get better with age). I happen to like Wine Spectator (www.winespectator.com) and Wine Enthusiast (www.winemag.com) magazines. Both publications include many reviews and associated ratings in each issue. Business Week magazine contains a short weekly column by none other than Robert Parker, offering interesting info and suggestions.

3. Speaking of Mr. Parker, his newsletter The Wine Advocate (www.wineadvocate.com) is a handy reference (6 issues/year for $75). Hey, this guy is said to taste 10,000 wines per year. He has been heralded as the world’s top wine critic and the Emperor of Wine. I’m still wondering how Sir Robert comes up with some of his exotic scents (for example, crushed rock), but who am I to second-guess his royal nose?

4. Sommeliers (or restaurant wine stewards). Some wine stewards are very helpful. Some aren’t. Roll the dice and take a chance if you’re feeling confident in your own knowledge or intuition. Then again, it’s easy enough to ask, “What do you recommend?”, and a good steward relishes the opportunity to offer his or her educated opinion. That about sums up your options when dining out, unless you happen to have a wine guide in your back pocket/man bag/purse or you’re enjoying a bottle with a bona fide expert.

5. Winery tasting room managers. Of course, they’re all too happy to promote their own wines; but Lisa and I have found a few who will recommend a winery other than their own (we can be a little rowdy at times, so they look for ways to kick us out without making a scene). These people tend to be plugged-in, at least in their regional cluster of vineyards.

6. Web sites, forums, and blogs like WineMemoirs.com (shameless self promotion, I know). Search this site or ask your fellow readers for their favorites using the “Comments” feature. Heck, why wait? Start now by replying to this post with a question. Occasionally, I also like to cruise Mark Squires’ Bulletin Boards at www.eRobertParker.com. The Wine Talk Forum alone contains more than 15,000 threads and 225,000 posts. Have a little spare time on your hands?

7. Your local wine merchant. Our neighborhood grocer employs a former wine industry pro, Mike, to handle tastings and recommendations. He loves to talk wine, and his advice is usually spot on. We also have a nice little store downtown, the Wine Depot & Deli, that focuses primarily on our favorite beverage. Check the Yellow Pages for something similar in your area, and give it a try. It’s nice to have a hometown expert around the corner when you’re having guests over in a few hours and need to find something special.

Feel free to add your own favorite adviser, book, or web site to the “Comments” section on this site. As always, we welcome your insights.