So all your friends seem to know more about wine than you do? An easy answer: form your own wine club and develop your wine knowledge and skills in an easy, relaxed manner.
Approach a few friends with similar wine interests. For maximum benefit limit it to eight to 12 people. More and it tends to get out of hand. A nice idea is to have four core couples and for the host to invite a different couple each time.
HOW OFTEN TO MEET?
Once a month is a good start but choose a set day, for example the second Friday of each month, and stick to it.
Take turns to host an evening. The host could choose the theme of the tasting and provide a light supper, such as pasta, lasagna or a large pot of soup. Don't overdo the food as it takes the focus off the wine and can become a burden on the host.
Invest in a set of wine tasting glasses, narrowed at the rim to concentrate the wine's bouquet. Get enough to allow a different glass per person for each wine. This allows comparison and back tasting. One person can be responsible for these or members can keep their own and bring them each time.
Use a tasting sheet as this focuses the attention and helps tasters to remember the wines. If someone is inclined it's great to have a newsletter summarising the tasting. Easy with e-mail.
HOW MANY WINES?
Start with no more than six to eight per evening. The host can supply these or each person or couple can bring a wine. Cover the labels with a bag or an old sock and taste "blind". It really is the best way.
WHAT TO TASTE?
One grape cultivar: Chardonnays, Merlots and so on.
Wines from one area: Constantia, Durbanville
Wines from one year: Limited Release 2009 Pinot Noir, Longmarket 2009 Chardonnay Viognier, Le Motte 2009 Merlot (called "horizontal" tasting)
Wines from a consecutive years: A popular cabernet from 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 (called "vertical" tasting)
Wines from one producer: Longmarket Pinotage, Longmarket Merlot, Longmarket Shiraz
Wines from one country: Simonsig Pinotage, Darling Cellars Shiraz, Diemersfontein Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
Cheap and expensive wines - are they worth it?
MATCHING WINES WITH FOOD
Wines with curry - try our Cape malay lamb curry or our oven-baked lamb-shank curry with confit quince.
Wines with fish - try our pickled fish with lime salad or our grilled whole fish with watermelon salsa.
Wines with chocolate - try our moist chocolate sponge topped with candied parsnip curls or our steamed coffee-and-chocolate puddings with truffles.
The list is endless but do have a theme. Random tasting becomes pointless.
A final word - keep it fun. Groups quickly split up when it becomes too serious or too competitive. Wine is a joyful product of nature and meant to be enjoyed.
Go learn!