A lot of Americans love wine, but most of us feel positively lost when we try to choose a good bottle at a restaurant or wine shop. So we end up papering over our confusion with extra dollars.

The thing to remember: Keep your cool. Wine is around for our pleasure, so don't take the process of choosing a wine too seriously. After all, you're only going to drink it! And the more wines you sample, the smarter you get. So be adventurous! Try different wines from different countries and see what you like.

To get you started, here are some of our favorite wines under $20--many of them actually cost less than $10 a bottle.  You don't have to break the family budget to enjoy a nice bottle of wine!

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. Get friendly with a good local wine merchant. Ask them to recommend a few nice wines in your price range to start you off. Note which ones you like and then let him/her watch for bargains in the types of wines you prefer.

2. Sample wines from lesser-known wine countries. Remember, expensive French wine doesn't automatically mean delicious. Some of our favorite wines are downright cheap. We particularly like some of the Cabernet Sauvignons (hearty red wines) from Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, New Zealand and Chile—all for well under $10 a bottle.

3. Shop around for bargains on your own. Take advantage of wine shop "specials" to try out new wines and to zero in on what pleases your taste buds.

4. Keep track of what you like. Start a little notebook or scrapbook where you can jot down the different wines you've tried and what your impressions were. You'll start noticing trends among the regions and varieties you like and don't like.

5. Throw a wine tasting party. One of the best ways to learn more and find what you like is to compare. And our favorite way to compare is to throw a wine tasting party. Ask each guest to bring a different bottle of wine. Have multiple glasses for sampling and some nice bread on hand to eat between glasses, so you get the real flavor of each different wine. And, again, take notes so you remember what you liked.

Facing the Wine List With Confidence

All of that is fine when you are buying wine in a shop. But what about ordering wine in a restaurant?

No more sweaty palms the next time you confront a leather-bound wine list in a restaurant. Rather than being scared, simply say these words to the waiter or wine steward: "Keeping in mind what we have ordered for dinner, would you please recommend a wine that is priced in the lower 40% of your wine list."

What have you done by taking control?

1. The waiter can't say that there are no good wines in the lower 40% of the wine list...are all those wines listed unacceptable?

2. You have avoided being talked into an overpriced bottle of wine.

So, there you have it..."Feeling Comfortable With Wine 101." If you'd like more information, Wine.com is a great site.

You can feel confident, not overspend and enjoy wines you like, if you just put your mind to it.

Related Links:

• Great Wines Under $20
• The Key Karats of Diamond Buying
• Could Your Trinkets Be Treasures?