Most still white wines are served chilled (10 to 12 degrees C) and sparkling wines are served colder (7 to 10 degrees C). Rose and blush wines are served at temperatures similar to white wines. Dry red wines are normally served at cool room temperature (18 to 22 degrees C), and may need some refrigeration during the hot summer months.

Almost all premium wines are sealed with natural cork, thus necessitating a cork puller of some sort, though alternative closures are enjoying increasing use to reduce cork taint.

To enjoy the colour and aroma of wine, a plain, thin, tulip-shaped, stemmed glass is appropriate. Hold the stem to avoid warming the wine. Swirling the wine allows the thin sheet of wine swirled onto the sides of the glass to evaporate, enabling the aromas to volatilise. The tulip shape of the glass then helps to funnel the aromas toward your nose.

To search out the subtleties of each variety, as you sample, try to appreciate the three main aspects of wine:

* Colour/clarity
* Aroma/bouquet
* Flavour/aftertaste

Try to pinpoint the distinctive character in each wine and then close your eyes and try to memorise that flavour or aroma. The more you practise critical tasting, the more your recall of varietal traits will come to you.

The next step in wine tasting is to match foods with wine. The recall of the varietal traits will help immensely with the pairing of wines and foods. It is fun to match similar traits as well as contrasting traits with our food. We encourage the use of our wines with food, but let's not forget how pleasant a glass of wine, all by itself can be - a relaxing, flavourful end to your day.