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ViiniTV’s correspondent from Sie Fatherland (Germany), a future Master Sommelier Stephanie Doering shares a few tips how to act around wine in a restaurant.

Below is everything you need to know. It’s easy!

1. Trust your sommelier. Ask him or her to choose for you either by the glass or bottle. They can distinguish over 10,000 flavours each on average and have passed exams to prove it. They know what your food tastes like. Just give them a price guide to avoid uncomfortable situation.

2. Avoid an obvious ploy: don’t choose on the basis of the second cheapest on the list.

3. Skip the whole ABC act (Anything But Chardonnay). Again, too obvious!

4. Drink at least as much water as you drink wine. In other words, don’t use wine to slake your thirst. Savour it.

5. Be respectful of teetotallers but don’t be sanctimonious. After all, Jesus was a wine maker.

6. Hold the glass by the stem. Hookers and footballers hold it further up around the bowl. It affects the temperature and makes you look like a hooker or a footballer.

7. Serve white wine chilled but don’t over do it. Coldness kills the flavours.

8. Don’t get hung up on red for meat, white for fish. Explore.

9. Be broad minded. Austrian wine doesn’t contain antifreeze. Italy makes lovely reds but also whites. Experiment with different wines to find your favourites. Better still, if possible, take a course.

10. Enjoy. Wine is one of life’s great pleasures and life isn’t a dress rehearsal. Don’t overcomplicate wine.