Farmers grow grapes; oenologists with the aid of cellar rats turn them into wine. Importers, wholesalers and retailers bring them to consumers. Sommeliers talk about them with their guests; writers muse over them. For some wine is a business, for others a lifestyle rooted in passion and for many merely a pleasurable hobby.

The range of wine styles from numerous vintages, hundreds of grape varietals in a plethora of growing regions and thousands of producers make understanding the subtleties an arduous, life long journey; but the infinite complexity is also its own reward, conspiring to maintain even the interest of beer drinkers.

If you’re a novice, remember what Simon Woods wrote in his introduction to wine: “no matter how inexperienced a taster you are, you are always right”. The bottom line is simple, always trust your own palate.

Over the years I have tried in innumerable articles to offer a few pointers, but in the end, buy the bottles that provide you with the greatest pleasure! Even the most coveted labels are still meant to be consumed with family, friends and guests during a meal, not to be collected and pulled from a trophy cellar to impress the gullible public.