Ryan Sciara © iStockphoto/Donald Gruener

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As much as I love turning people on to off-beat grape varieties and wines from unusual and out-of-the-way places, I’m just as likely as anyone else to get stuck into a wine rut. Turn me loose with a wine list, and I'll probably come out with a laundry list of the wines that I’ve loved from the start: dry, hearty red table wines made from familiar grapes in the familiar regions of Italy, Spain and southern France.

Like most wine lovers, I have a few styles of wine that I gravitate toward. In my case, these tend to be Tempranillo- and Grenache-based wines from Spain, Grenache-dominated reds from the southern Rhone, classic and international varietals from Tuscany and southern Italy, pinot noirs from Oregon and the Russian River Valley, and rieslings from Germany. I buy these because I enjoy them and because I relish any and every opportunity I have to explore them in greater depth.

When you find a wine variety or style you like, it’s all too easy to fall into a comfortable rut, opening the same bottles of chardonnay or pinot noir over and over again. But the fact is that it’s almost just as easy to break out of your rut — your favorite wines can help you discover new varietals that you’ll like as much, if not more, than ones you usually drink.

Think about the wines you like and use them as a springboard to explore other types of wines from around the globe. Similarities between wines can be remarkable, so when seeking out something new, embrace certain familiar elements to make mixing and matching easier. Once you identify style profiles of wines you enjoy, the door will open to discovering similar bottles that you’ll enjoy just as much. The next time you find yourself stuck in a wine rut, staring blankly at a store or list full of wine, try using these recommendations to swap out an old favorite for something fresh and new.

If you like sauvignon blanc, you might also like viura/verdejo blends from the Rueda region in Spain, or consider giving Austrian grüner veltliner a chance. Sauvignon blanc is great and versatile, with its bright and vibrant citrusy fruits and tart acidity. Rueda wines are full of the same crisp grapefruit and lime flavors, with green herbs and mouthwatering acidity. Grüner is also very food versatile, with its textbook green melon, white pepper and sweet pea flavors.

If you (like most of the wine-drinking public) enjoy chardonnay, you might also enjoy Australian semillon or viognier from the south of France or California. Chardonnay is easy to like, with its ripe pear and apple flavors and notes of creamy butter, spice and oak. Semillon is great because it also can deliver the same ripe fruit characteristics but with less oak influence. Viognier is a much more exotic spicy and floral expression with more peachy flavors.

If you like cabernet sauvignon, try malbec from Argentina. Cabernet is undoubtedly the king of red wines and rightly so, with a full body, concentrated dark fruits and firm tannins making them cellar-worthy. Malbec, which like cabernet, is originally from the Bordeaux region in France, shares a lot of the same dark and lush fruits of black cherry, plums and cassis but tend to have softer, more manageable tannins, and a great malbec can be had for a fraction of what a middle-of-the-road California cabernet will set you back.

If you like shiraz/syrah, taste Nero d’Avola from Sicily. Aussie shiraz is loved for its ripe and jammy fruits, minty-herbal notes and black pepper spice. For years, Australia was the leader in value-oriented wines, but just like 40 is the new 30, Sicily is the new Australia.  Some of the best red wine values in the world are the crisp, juicy and fruit-driven neros from the island. For wine lovers who are only familiar with the major grape varieties, Sicily provides a whole new experience. The best neros are still unoaked and deliver ripe fruit flavors, earthy undertones and an added herbal element.

So, take the first step with me. Break out of that rut — there’s fantastic wine available, so why would you ever want to limit yourself? Be brave, and you might be surprised at what you find and where you find it. Who knows? You might find a new favorite.

Ryan Sciara is co-founder and managing partner of Cellar Rat Wine Merchants.