Chill choice
Most of us don't want to jam our fridges with bottles of wine in case hordes of friends drop in. But waiting for wine to chill is always a nuisance.

One answer is the Peltier electric wine warmer/cooler, which looks like a fancy ice bucket with 10 different temperature settings. It costs é59.50 from John Lewis.

Corks out
There is a myth that screw-top wine is somehow inferior. On the contrary, there are some delicious wines available with screw tops, and there's the added pleasure of not having to worry about a corkscrew.

Check out Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc from Australia, priced é9.99 from Waitrose.

Swop stories
Drinking wine is a social activity, but talking about wine can be as addictive as quaffing it - unless you're in the wrong company, in which case it can be as much of a turn-off as train spotting.

If you yearn to swop vintage experiences with other wine fans, go for a quick surf.

There are now a host of web sites where you can join in online discussions. Try www.wine-lovers-page.com, www.erobertparker.com, or www.wine-pages.com.

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