1. “The truth is in the bottle and not on the label” Similar to “don’t judge a book by its cover”…the same applies to wine. Often a flash label might be you’re way to choosing a bottle. If you can't taste before you buy then you might have to test a few bottles before finding the wines you like. 
   
   
2. There is no miracle at the bottom! In other words there is no cheap good wine. You will notice this as you begin to test and taste cheaper wines. You are more receptive to certain grapes than others.
   
   
3. However good a wine is it may not appeal to you because it is not your own personal taste. It may take some time before you discover your own taste as you will often find your taste changes with time.
   
   
4. Most wines are average!  You will only remember the good and the bad wines…you forget the average. Indeed if you have a quick think now… you will probably only remember a handful of top wines that you have had in the past.
   
   
5. Do not be influenced by what the others say, it is what you like which matters, and certainly not what the others like.
   
   
6. Before you taste any wine it is best not to know the price.  We are all influenced by price and it’s not always for the better.
   
   
7. When confronted with a £10 bottle you have to ask yourself two questions: Can I tell the difference with a cheaper wine? If yes am I prepared to pay for it? (Same question applies for more expensive wines)
   
   
8. Wines costing more than £20 should be taken with caution. Some wines live off their reputation and are not as good as we would expect them to be.
   
   
9. It is very important for anybody to understand that for a winegrower to achieve quality the only answer is extra work, severe selection of grapes, reducing quantity in most cases, and all these factors will contribute to higher price and quality.
   
   
10. If wines are good enough they do not have to travel to Calais or Cherbourg to be sold.

Pierre Hourlier