They say it’s what’s on the inside that counts but when it comes to wine the first taste of most bottles we buy is with our eyes. For me there is no denying that the label, bottle, closure and price all contribute to my first impressions and overall enjoyment of a wine but with the exception of the Harpers Design Awards, which judges wines on initial impact and overall aesthetics, even the most respected wine competitions are held blind which means judges are critiquing wines using a system completely alien to the reality of actually buying bottle..

What we need is a half way house; ………

Burgundy is in. Whether you’re wine, lipstick or clothing. It’s what you should be wearing and drinking this autumn. Home to two of my all time favourite grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Burgundy produces the perfect wines to ensure a smooth transition into the changing seasons. And they don’t have to be budget breaking Burgundies either, as two wines from Lidl prove. ………

It’s not only red wines that should be given time to breathe, patience can be a virtue for white wines too. Take the Catena Alta Chardonnay 2009 for example. What appeared, on first opening, to be a rather shy and otherwise standard issue Chardonnay from Argentina, 24 hours later had blossomed into a wine of another level. ………

Choice isn’t always a good thing. With so many online wine shops popping up at the moment surfing the web for your favourite drop can be as confusing as the supermarket wine aisle. Which is why it’s a relief to introduce you to dropwines, a new online wine retailer who believes that less is more by focusing on offering ten wines a week that they promise will taste as good as they’re priced.

I took five minutes with wine buyer in chief Richard Verney to explain what they’re up to and why, if you know what you’re looking for, he could offer you much more than just a bottle of wine…..!

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Cult wine, icon wine, celebrity wine: what does it all mean? The first two will mean something to the wine trade and to wine enthusiasts and the third means something to everyone else. Being the wine hussy that I am makes me open my wallet and my mouth at the sheer mention of either or all of these über wines and yet rarely, very rarely will cult, icon or celebrity be used to describe a rosé…

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What do you get the man that has everything? This Fathers Day I’ve received a peculiar number of ideas from beauty companies, of all things! But the thought of giving my Dad a man-oisturiser or a man-icure leaves me feeling all metrosexual and a little bit floppy. If your Dad is anything like mine then time with family and friends is top of his gift list so getting him a bottle of the good stuff to share with them is treat enough.

From the guys I told you about that sell the amazing Château Filhot Sauternes, ThePerfectCellar.com are offering 16% off all orders placed before midnight on the 12th June and their Château Les Ormes 2008, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux is just what the Daddy ordered! A classic left bank blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot grapes it’s seriously luscious, fruity, herbaceous, robust and manly. Serve it with something you know he’ll love; steak frites, casserole, bangers & mash or mature cheese. ………