A search for “wine buying guide” on Google turned up 166,000 Web sites. Some are columns by writers, some are books, some are compiled lists, but most of them have one thing in common — they are subjective and the result of an individual’s personal taste.

Andrea Immer Robinson, a Master Sommelier, author and noted wine educator, has published a book (“Andrea Robinson’s 2008 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone”) that’s somewhat different from most — it uses the opinions of thousands of wine buyers, including those who buy for wine shops and restaurants, sommeliers, chefs, waiters, hoteliers, importers and distributors. In addition to these trade buyers, she also includes the opinions of people who belong to her wine club, her students and even her friends and family.

In her chapter about how to use the guide, she writes, “This Guide for Everyone takes an utterly populist perspective that’s different from every other wine publication on the market … I think the honest assessments and perspective of consumers who have to pay their own money for wine (while wine journalists rarely do [her words]), and the retailers and restaurateurs who serve them, are extremely important and helpful — because they’re the real world.”

She asked her raters to score both the taste and value of wines on a scale of zero to 30, with 26-30 outstanding, 20-25 very good, 16-19 good, 10-15 fair and 0-9 poor. In the book, Robinson lists each varietal alphabetically by producer, and lists an average of the taste and value ratings, along with an average price for each wine and a brief description of the wine gleaned from tasters’ comments.

Wines from all parts of the world are included, with emphasis on producers depending on the varietal — for example, the riesling section leans heavily toward Germany, while California and France dominate the cabernet sauvignon and cab blends section. Chapters on Spanish reds and Italian regional reds also are included, along with extensive coverage of sparkling wines.

Robinson explains why wine prices vary across the U.S., with not only transportation costs a factor but also the laws that vary from state to state. As a result, she lists a national average price for each wine.

She also includes wines in all price ranges — from $6 to $150 — prices that would be comfortable for all consumers’ wallets.

For beginning wine enthusiasts, Robinson includes a chapter on how to taste wine, along with a section on buying lingo, explaining words a buyer is likely to encounter in a store or restaurant.

One interesting feature she has incorporated into her ratings is what she calls the “Kitchen Countertop Survivor” and “Kitchen Fridge Survivor” ratings to give an idea how long each wine will stay in drinking condition if the entire bottle is not finished, and how to keep those wines that receive a higher survivor rating.

She gives hints on buying wine in wine shops and restaurants, and for the latter, she offers a Wine List Decoder, which helps to navigate through a wine list containing wines the reader may not be familiar with.

Although most of the ratings are from the “raters” mentioned earlier, Robinson also doesn’t shy away from her own recommendations, and alongside those that are her particular favorites she places a small happy face symbol.

Another feature — she lists an index of every winery mentioned in the guide, along with the wine (s) rated for each winery, making it easy to look up a wine if you’re in a wine shop or the wine aisle in a supermarket.

It’s a handy book to take along when visiting a wine shop and you’re feeling adventuresome. We all tend to buy the wines we’re most familiar with, but this book will make it easier to break out of that mold.

“Andrea Robinson’s 2008 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone,” published by JGR Productions, $13.95. Available on Amazon.com and other online sources, and at bookstores and some wineries.

For information, go to www.andreawine.com.