Dont get too excited about this. Most early drinking wine will be fine in a wide range of temperatures although dramatic changes in temperature and direct sunlight should be avoided at all costs. In general ensure the temperature doesn’t exceed 25° (77°F) or the wine can become irreversibly “cooked”. Reds in the dining room is fine but try and avoid the kitchen. Whites are best served cool, and so benefit from being stored in a refrigerator. They should however be taken out 10 minutes before serving as being too cold can mute the taste of the wine. In particular, aromatic varieties like Riesling, Pinot Gris and Viognier and even Sauvignon Blanc tend to be consumed too cold therefore denying us some of its wonderful characteristics.

With red wines, the prevailing wisdom is to serve at room temperature but beware. This was established at a time when room temperature was considerably lower than your average dining room today and so I personally chill mine down with 20 minutes in the fridge before decanting or serving from the bottle. Particularly with lighter wines I find this invigorates the wine and helps it develop nicely in the glass as it warms up revealing all the nuances it possesses.

If you have a serious collection of fine wines and a cellar, the optimum conditions are 10-15°C (50- 59°F) with 75% humidity. These lower temperatures slow down the reactions in the maturation process and apparently encourage more complex wines over long periods. The humidity is simply to keep prevent the exposed end of the cork from drying out and letting oxygen in than can damage the wine. All should be stored horizontally for the same purpose of keeping the cork damp to keep out that evil oxygen.

For those of us who may not have an underground cellar, there is now a range of excellent wine storage units available. These cost no more than the average kitchen appliances like a dishwater or washing machine but look much better. These replicate the perfect wine storage environment and can store wines for long periods if required.

I’ll be assessing these in more detail in the Cellar section.

Otherwise called stemware in the USA, come in all shapes, sizes, designs and even colours but I’m with Jancis Robinson on this. You only need one glass for all wines.

If you think about it, all wines have the same characteristics that you’re trying to identify and enjoy so why bother with a different glass size and shape? It seems to me that tradition and commercial opportunity have greatly expanded the range of glasses available way beyond what is necessary for serious wine drinkers. Why a smaller glass traditionally used for white wines when the aromas and tastes are every bit as alluring as those of a red that has a larger glass. Who can tease out every nuance of a complex sherry or port in a glass the size of an egg cup? Or even sparkling wines, where you won’t see the producers themselves drink out of a fashion item like a flute or a coupe, but a glass with a proper bowl!

As an example, Riedel for instance, have made an entire business out of wine glasses and decanters. They have developed shapes and sizes that they maintain enhance the sensory experience of drinking every style of wine. These are all wonderful inventions and beautiful table adornments but frankly all you really need is a clear glass with a shape that allows adequate swirling in a bowl that gradually tapers to the rim of the glass where it precisely guides the aromas to your nose and directs the fluid to the tongue when tasting.

For recommendations see the Cellar page.

Sounds simple enough and armed with your new waiter’s friend it really is. Hold the bottle tightly in one hand, trying not to disturb any sediment that will have accumulated at the bottom, and firmly cut around the aluminium cap with the little serrated blade that is part of the corkscrew. One good pass around the neck should do it. The biggest mistake we make is not placing the point of the worm in the center of the cork and making sure it is perfectly vertical before turning. This results in a broken cork that can cause all sorts of unnecessary issues. Two or three turns should enable you to use the articulated lever which makes it easier to satisfactorily extract the remainder of the cork.

Opening a Champagne style bottle is another matter. The bottle is thicker and heavier in order to contain the 3 to 6 times atmosphere suppressed inside, the result of secondary fermentation in the bottle. If opened incorrectly this pressure will propel your cork out with a force that can be dangerous.

So, unlike our still wines above, you hold the cork and turn the bottle. After removing the foil and the safety wiring, keep your thumb on the cork and then hold it tightly and turn gently. After an initial release it will pop out easily and should be no more than a whimper on release.

For recommendations see the Cellar page.

Washing wine glasses properly is essential if you want to taste properly. Notice how much care a sommelier will take in ensuring the cleanliness of the glasses on his restaurant tables.

Quite apart from making the glassware aesthetically pleasing, this is done to avoid any undesirable particles forming on the inside of the glass that can influence the aromas and taste of a wine.

Many consider the use of detergents and dishwashers to be detrimental for this very reason and personally I enjoy washing and drying by hand, but I rarely entertain hundreds of guests a night.

The minute wine is exposed to oxygen it wants to become vinegar. Thankfully this process takes a few days and so even if all we do is put the cork back in and leave it on the dining room table, the wine is generally drinkable for 24 hours after opening. The problem is that it’s not quite the same. It has deteriorated, losing its vibrancy, its fruitiness and becomes a little flat.

There are however a couple of things you can do to slow this process down and retain that freshness a little longer.

Firstly, there’s a wonderful invention by a heart surgeon called a Coravin. This works on the same principle of taking a biopsy. A needle is inserted into the cork, penetrating to the wine inside. Press a little lever and it inserts argon gas that provides enough pressure to force the wine out, and retains the inert gas inside that ensures no oxygen is introduced in to the bottle. I ve used one for many years and it works rather well at least for 30 days.

More practical and less expensive is using a vacuum pump. After pouring a few glasses you may wish to keep the remainder for another day which leaves half the bottle  full of that nasty oxygen. The vacuum pump is a means of removing that and therefore preserving the wine a little longer. One problem that is evident in the process is that you also tend to extract some of the aromas, so don’t be too energetic.

And finally, refrigerator all of the above bottles. Whatever happens refrigeration will slow down the degenerating process. Simply retrieve an hour before you want to drink the remaining wine and the temperature will be fine.

Either way wine will only be enjoyable for 24 -36 hours at best. After that they will not harm you but will not taste particularly good either. Whites seem to retain more of their freshness and character longer than reds.

Note that where back vintage fine wines are concerned these rules apply in a different way. The subject of another day.

Informal entertaining is fairly straight forward. Outdoor events usually center around a grill and take place in the warmer months so here’s the basic plan for say 25 people.

Based on our basic math equation you’ll need 20 bottles plus contingency of say 5 bottles and that everyone is drinking wine. You can discount beer drinkers, cocktail drinkers and those that simply don’t drink at all as you do the math.

Whatever number of bottles you arrive at, start with 10 % rose, 50% white and 40% red.

Rose and whites because they are refreshing, served cool and a preference for many guests and reds to complement meats off the grill and accommodate red drinkers.

This is not the time to buy expensive wines and so spending £8 -£12 a bottle will get you a decent mix of Provence rose , Italian Pinot Grigio and very drinkable Chardonnay with oak from say Chile and a dry example from Bourgogne together with Sauvignon Blanc form New Zealand. For reds try Argentinian Malbec, Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and for lighter reds New Zealand Pinot Noir or even a Beaujolais Village nicely cooled.

Another option is to buy a box of wine. They are cost effective, very convenient and safely hold 20 five-ounce glasses. They have suffered a quality image in the UK but the quality is getting better and accounts for a staggering 45% of wine sold in Australia where BBQ is a way of life.

Formal dinners are a different proposition and require a lot more thought.

Let’s assume you’re entertaining 12 guests plus you and your partner for a total of 14 people and that the menu consists of a starter, main course and a dessert, that may include a cheese board somewhere in the evening.

This calculates to 12 bottles which amounts to around 4 bottles per course excluding an aperitif and possibly a dessert and/or fortified wine.

In your casual outdoor dining event, wine was an alcoholic beverage, here it is an integral part of your entertaining experience and you may want to spend a little more per bottle to compliment the effort you’ve put into the food. As you’ll see elsewhere in the book, there is a distinct difference in quality the more you pay given the duty and tax involved, so it’s worth forking out an additional £30-40 for the wine overall.

This is by no means a comprehensive food pairing section, but I thought you may wish to know what a basic pairings might look like.

Sparkling wine is always a good aperitif. Try a Cremant or Prosecco or Cava that are excellent value and half the price of Champagne. Most people will drink two glasses so two or three bottles should be enough. Sparkling wine can be used as a default for all courses as the acidity, body and bubbles are a good compromise across most food.

Starters are usually best accompanied by white wines. Acidic wines for anything with butter or shellfish, and salads as they usually have a vinegar dressing (Bourgogne or California Chardonnay, Muscadet, NZ Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre particularly for Salmon) Special mention for a light Pinot Grigio that is just perfect for fish soup. Slightly sweet and aromatic styles are the only options for spicy foods (Riesling and Gewurztraminer) Patés come in a range of different depths of flavour but if you want to impress your friends, a lightly chilled Cabernet Franc from Saumur is a great choice. Think in the £10 range get the kind of quality that will make a big difference to the overall experience.

If your main course choices are fish or meat be aware that any sauce you serve will alter the pairing.

The lighter the fish the lighter the white wine. See above for options, but if tuna or swordfish are on the menu then a light red like a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Village will be a nice compliment.

High tannin wines like a Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon or Australian Shiraz will cut through the fat content of a grilled steak perfectly, Grenache for lamb with Rasteau from the Rhone a good choice and a bold Syrah for game. Consider a Croze-Hermitage or Zinfandel. Pork does well with Pinot Noir as does lamb, which can also be paired with Chianti or a cru Beaujolais.

Desserts usually require a sweet wine which can be an acquired taste. Personally, I have a half bottle available for anyone prepared to try it otherwise finish off the sparkling, or white wines left over from previous courses. An Australian “stickie” is both excellent and inexpensive.

Finally, always remember wine etiquette. Basic manners like serving guests before yourself, letting everyone know that self-serving is not only acceptable but appreciated and place the decanter or bottles in an accessible place to facilitate this. Hold glasses by the stem and not the bowl to avoid fingerprints and when toasting, pay particular attention to your clinking partner to make them feel special and try and avoid breakage.

Throughout the night ensure that everyone has a full glass, only enter into detailed wine conversation when asked and finally try to stay more sober than your guests!