Wine tips for virgin quaffers

So you don't know your Sauvignon Blanc from your Cincaut? Fear not, for the grape-illiterate we offer some handy hints. Even if you don't follow all the advice, you will at least be able to impress your friends and associates.

• Don't only fill your cellar with the wines you like at the moment. The temptation may be strong, but your tastes will change, and then you'll be left with a cellar full of wines that, no matter how many fond memories they recall, you won't feel like drinking.
• Buy experimental wines in half cases in preference to full cases. There are just so many wines out there, of so many different styles, that it makes sense to buy plenty of 'educational' bottles.
• Go to as many tastings as you can. Taste and learn. Tip your designated driver well, or why not start your own wine tasting club at home?
• Take the opinions and advice of wine 'experts' with a pinch of salt. If any wine 'expert' is worth listening to, they'll be humble enough to acknowledge that they are fallible. Tasting is often a matter of taste.
• Taste and buy a wide selection of wines. Don't only buy highly rated or expensive wines. The temptation to do this can be strong, especially if you have plenty of disposable income, but you could miss out on some excellent bottling that haven't yet hit the headlines.
• Find a wine buyer whose opinion you trust and learn to discern between wine critics who know it all and those who encourage you to taste and think for yourself.
• Keep notes on all the wines you try. At first you may not be very sure of what you are writing, but gradually your confidence will grow. If a wine recalls smells of old socks and tastes like nectar, write it down.
• Read as much as you can.
• Take a trip to the winelands. Tasting wines in their home environment is an experience second to none. You will also have great stories with which to regale your wine-drinking friends.