Wine tasting for beginners.

[mallwood]

For people starting to get into wine I'd highly recommend finding a local wine club or attending a fair. Clubs can be found by googling, though some areas are better served than others.

For wine fairs, Tesco hold some every year at the bargain price of £12.50 a ticket. These give you a chance to go around and sample a large range of wines for no more than the original ticket cost. There is no better way of being able to discern your own tastes than to be able to try a large range of wines side-by-side. Search for Tesco Wine Fair and you should get the url quite easily. Laithwaites (and their branded wine clubs (Times, British Airways etc)) also hold some fairs at a higher price point as do Decanter magazine and The Wine Society (members only).

[MiaAiello]

Great guide! thanks for this!

[mobit]

Always hold a wine glass by the stem, never the bowl, as your hand will heat the wine and impair the flavour.

[ik9000]

Always hold a wine glass by the stem, never the bowl, as your hand will heat the wine and impair the flavour.

For chilled white wine perhaps, but if you're going to resurrect a long dead thread at least give full advice. Red wine that has been overchilled can benefit from holding the glass to help raise its temperature. The better advice is to be aware that by cupping the glass with your hands you can raise the temperature of the contents, which is generally, but not always, undesirable.