Hamburg - Consumers shopping for wine should not consider just the awards and quality seals on a bottle.

Awards are as plentiful as sand on the beach and can be confusing, said can Heike Broek of Germany's union of sommeliers. In order to judge the reliability of an award, the consumer has to know who awarded the prize and under what criteria.

Often journalists or cellarers on the payroll of the vineyard are on the jury. A study in the United States recently found that expert opinions often fluctuate greatly.

Instead of looking at awards and recognition, wine consumers should trust their own tastes and get educated about wine. Experience is in the end necessary to appreciate excellent wine.

"I have myself drunk highly-prized wine for which I wouldn't pay 5 euros (6.46 dollars)," said Broek. For many consumers, the deciding factor is price, and only a few prizes went to wines beyond the 7 to 8 euro-threshold. (dpa)