I love working in our stores during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Bottles of wine disappear from the shelves as fast as we can replace them. All kinds of shoppers from the most experienced connoisseur to the weekend imbiber and finally the once a year visitor all come in search of the "perfect" bottle of wine to give as a gift.

It's the once a year shopper that often presents the greatest challenge to our wine team. Often times they come equipped with a name scribbled on a piece of paper in search of the holy grail. It's our job to look through the eyes of the guest and create a positive shopping experience. Frequently this requires us to answer a number of questions that are not always as easy to answer as one might expect.

Yesterday, for example, I had a woman come into the store with a scrap of paper and the word Cabernet Sauvignon scribbled on it. She told me, "That's what my boss wants and money is no object. I really want to impress him." Since she made it clear that cost was not important I showed her a couple of different Cabernet Sauvignons. One was the 2010 Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($1500) and the other from one of my favorite boutique Napa Valley producers, 2010 Buoncristiani Cabernet Sauvignon ($90). I'm sure she thought I was joking when I told her the price of the Lafite Rothschild. Only when she realized I was serious did the cascade of questions begin.

Why is one wine so much more expensive? I never want to overload a guest with too much information but here is my not so short answer to her question:

-Land prices. In Napa Valley an acre of land can reach $250,000. Prime real estate in Bordeaux is even more expensive. The more expensive the land, the more expensive the wine.

-Hand harvested vs. mechanical. On large flat tracts of land where mechanical harvesters can be used, the cost is lower.

-Yields. Lower yields (the amount of fruit actually harvested) result in more concentrated but also more expensive wines.

-Organic farming. Just as with the produce we buy, organically grown grapes are more expensive to produce.

-Oak barrels. The cost of a new French Oak barrel can be over $1000.

-Supply and Demand. Perhaps the most important factor. As with anything in life, limited supply and great demand equals high prices.

Are price and quality related? Sure they are, but price is not the most important factor when you are out shopping for that perfect bottle of wine. Both the Lafite Rothschild and the Buoncristiani Cabernet are impeccably well-made wines. I'm sure her boss is going to love the Buoncristiani.

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinepaulq