for beginners

This section of www.jancisrobinson.com is specially designed for you if you have only recently become interested in the world's most delicious drink. I'll continue to add new articles but they will initially focus on useful background stuff on how to handle wine designed specifically for those who consider themselves less than experts or not-yet-connoisseurs.

Many of the articles are based on my book Jancis Robinson's Wine Course which accompanied our BBC tv series of the same name filmed in the mid 1990s (now available on dvd), but I have substantially updated the material. It's amazing how much the wines available have changed since then.

Recent articles

Organise your own wine tasting Oct 26, 2007: Here's one idea of how to do it with up to 14 friends.

How to open a wine bottle Jul 2, 2007: Wrestling with foils, corks, screwcaps and how not to be a racing driver.

How to stopper a wine bottle Jun 25, 2007: The relative merits of natural and synthetic corks, screwcaps and alternatives.

Matching wine and food May 9, 2007: Plus cooking with wine - a brief guide.

Decanters, decanting and caring for glassware Feb 15, 2007: Some of the more practical aspects of being a wine enthusiast. Updated with more specific practical advice Feb 17.

First choose your glass Jan 31, 2007: An introduction to stemware. But why glass for wine, and which one?

Some special sorts of wine Jan 5, 2007: Organic, biodynamic, vegan, wines low in alcohol, calories and all the other funny ones.

Entertaining with wine - Part Two Dec 15, 2006: What sort(s) of wines to serve at which sort of social gathering, including watching the box.

Entertaining with wine - Part One Dec 12, 2006: How many bottles to buy, and what to do about non-drinkers. Suggested nibbles to serve with aperitifs.

How to store wine Nov 29, 2006: The ideal cellar and alternatives to it. Plus a special offer of 10% off the cost of a Eurocave for subscribers to purple pages.

Bringing a bottle Nov 16, 2006: The etiquette of giving and receiving. And some perhaps surprising suggestions for what the bottle might contain.

Choosing the right bottle Nov 8, 2006: Some help with working out which of those hundreds of bottles to lift off the shelf.

Our sense of taste Oct 12, 2006: Why does food taste of nothing when we have a cold? And why are there so many different opinions on the same wine?

Which wines are worth ageing Oct 6, 2006: Some concrete suggestions about which bottles to put in the rack or cellar, and for how long.

How to serve wine Sep 27, 2006: What about temperature? And choosing the right sort of wine for the occasion?

How to become a wine taster Sep 21, 2006: A step by step guide to getting the most from every nose- and mouthful.

What is wine? Sep 13, 2006: What's so special about this wonderful liquid.