Anyone who has spent time in a wine shop knows how fraught the task of choosing a bottle can be. Double that when buying for a friend. Here is a familiar scenario: Someone strides into the shop, impatient because he or she is running late for a dinner party. This guest wants a special bottle to give to the soiree’s hosts, but has no idea what they like or what they’re serving. The shop’s staff suggests a few possibilities before the guest makes a hurried decision. In the end, if the bottle isn’t opened that evening, and the hosts never mention if they liked it or not, the guest never knows how it was received.

How did choosing wine for a gift become so stressful?