"I try to go to the wine store with a wine list but what does one do when none of the items are on the list."
A useful trick a friend taught me for buying non-US wines in the US is to pay attention to the importer. For example, when buying a Spanish wine, looking for Jorge Ordonez on the back label is often a big win.
"Why pay foreigners when American wines are just as good."
A few reasons:
1. If I'm shopping for wine, and I don't see any producers I'm familiar with, I have a good tool for picking likely winners for imported wines: looking at the importer. I don't have a similar trick for domestic wines. Hints welcome!
2. Wines from different parts of the world can have pretty distinct characteristics, and I find it fun to try different things.
3. I've generally (though not always) had better luck finding cheap-and-good foreign wines than American wines.
4. I think there can be very good reasons to buy locally, but I also think a stronger global economy will have great benefits and I have no problem contributing to it.
On the East Coast, it's often cheaper and more environmentally friendly to buy imported French and Spanish wines rather than trucking them from CA. (I forget the study, my apologies.)
On the other hand, if you're just being patriotic, go right ahead.
I try to go to the wine store with a wine list but what does one do when none of the items are on the list. This is where one is in trouble.
I have sometimes bought expensive wine thinking it might be good but I have been disappointed one too many times.
Price is a factor in determining quality only because there are too many choices.
Nowadays I don't experiment that much I stick to about 2-3 of my perennial favorites.