Drink wines recommended by a good person from a good store. Give them as much information as possible about what you have had already that you liked. The best people will try to steer you where they think you are now. It does not do retailer any good to sell you the best wine and expect you to like it. Most of the people on this forum most likely try 40-50 different wines per week. Their tastes are going to be different from yours. The best way to develop a good customer is to bring them along slowly. It's called "bridging" them and it can take years to do. Some people never cross the bridge and that is fine too. As long as you are buying wine. Keep trying different wines. For god's sake please skip right over all the crappy Merlot and over oaked Chardonnay currently being served up in the states. If you want to go by critic's suggestions a good thing to know is that no one can know all things. RP has weaknesses. Burgundy for sure. Learn who is good in a region and read them. No one person can properly cover the world. Ad $$$ are very important to the WS so you need to think twice about what they are pushing. Look at how they push cigars! It created a whole new publication. People now think that it's OK to show up at a wines tasting smoking a cigar. Beside the stench if you smoke, you palate is compromised.
