The best way to show your love for vino is by learning how to taste it – and we don’t mean just knocking back a bottle of house white. Wine tasting means savouring every drop, and – unfortunately – you don’t even need to swallow. There are very few taste-buds in the throat, and 85% of taste is based on smell.

According to Rebecca Dunphy, director of Sniff and Spit Wine Tastings, wine tasting isn’t rocket science. “It can be very simple, such as just comparing and contrasting two wines. It’s not only helpful when buying wine, but it’s enlightening, and people really enjoy it.”

London restaurant RSJ takes an informal but classical approach to wine tasting, letting guests taste about 10 wines with dinner. Proprietor Nigel Wilkinson says this is the best way to taste it. “Wine is meant to be drunk with food, and it gives you a realistic impression of the taste,” he says.

According to Taste the Vine, wine quaffing ought to be done with humour. The company has been running wine-tasting shows for eight years, and has been known to hold tastings for 3,500 corporate guests in one afternoon.

La Luna restaurant in Godalming, Surrey, has teamed up with wine house Donnafugata for a wine tasting and music event on 20 September, describing it as an evening where “the musical notes and wine notes are chosen to complement each other”.

If you fancy learning the tricks of the trade, Caterer’s annual Chef Conference will be holding a wine-matching masterclass on 18 October. Contact emmajane.north@rbi.co.uk for more details.