I have found this to be working quite well for me when confronted with an array of bottles and my head swims with foreign names. No merlots, shiraz for me. I look for red wine from Spain and Italy and France. My philosophy is red wine/red table wine such as is the type you may get if you were to visit a wine area (Italy/France/Spain) and just order a carafe of the house wine at a cafe. I have found this allows me to focus on a wine that is not year dependent or even grape dependent. They seem to be a generic and made for the simple pleasure of a nice wine without the price. So far I have seemed to have personal taste success in this method of wine selection. Then again perhaps my "taste" is not refined. Which, in its own way, may be a good thing.
Last night I drank a Rene' Barbier Mediterranean red $4.99
I sit now looking at three others I have selected on the above criteria.
Zonin Montepulciano D'Abruzzo $7.99 - this wine caught my eye based on DRY RED WINE listed on the label. Don't know what kind of grapes it may be. Don't care. Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux $10.99 ( a little bit more, but worth it since I already had a bottle) Berberana Vina Allarde Tempranillo
I will have to start looking for whites in a similiar vein, but it seems they are fewer in number.