Do you like wine but feel like you just don't know enough? Would you like to be the one that your friends nominate to pick the wine in a restaurant, and even taste it, too? With the help of Paolo Tullio, famous wine critic, and a comprehensive guide to all the different grapes and wine regions, read on for Fiona Cuskelly's short guide to quickly becoming a wine connoisseur.

'Tasting wine is not difficult', says one of Ireland's leading wine critics Paolo Tullio. 'Look first at the colour, then learn what you can from smelling the wine. Then taste it. Look out for the initial impact, then the tastes as the wine warms in your mouth, and lastly what flavours remain after you swallow.'

Research indicates that 70 to 75% of what we taste is due to our sense of smell. Smelling a wine is one of three things we must do when tasting it, the other two being looking at it and then finally, tasting it.

But what use is all of this information if you don't know too much about wine? Ever feel like a bit of a fool when faced with a wine list in a restaurant? Surely they all taste the same; why bother going for something really expensive when the house wine will be almost the same? Here's where we are all wrong. Welcome to the intricate world of wine, and the best thing about it is that, after all, you don't have to be an expert to find a good wine and to enjoy it.

All wines are made from different types of grape, be they red or white, on their own or blended in with another grape.

One way to classify wine is by grape. This way, it is easier to get to know what flavours to look for in the wine.

The main white grape varieties are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Semillon, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio in Italy, is grown well in the Alsace region of France. It produces medium bodied, well balanced wines with floral fragrances. Main flavours are apple, citrus, wild honey and roses.

The Chardonnay grape is grown all over the world. It takes oak well, and when aged in oak it takes on vanilla flavours. It produces wine which has a rich, buttery taste with main flavours being melon, tropical fruit, gooseberry and almond.

The Gewurztraminer grape is grown best in cooler climates like France and New Zealand. The grape produces a very florally fragranced wine with spicy flavours, and it quite aromatic. Other flavours are lavender, lime and cinnamon.

The Semillion grape produces full flavoured, rich and aromatic wines. Often blended with other grapes, like the Sauvignon Blanc, main flavours are citrus, tropical fruit and apricot.

The Riesling grape is grown mainly in Northern Europe. It produces wine with zesty characteristics, with peach, honeysuckle and rose being the main flavours. When aged, Riesling may have a slight taste of petrol.

Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape in South Africa and is known locally as Steen. Also grown in California and it produces fragrant, acidic wine with grassy, herbaceous flavours.

Sauvignon Blanc grapes produce wines that go great with seafood. The grape is grown mainly in Bordeaux and New Zealand, and produces a very fresh, zingy flavour. Cut grass, grapefruit and green pepper are also flavours associated with the grape.

The main red grape varieties are Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah or Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Zinfandel.

The Merlot grape is a close cousin to Cabernet Sauvignon. It produces wines that are extremely smooth and soft in texture. Main flavours in the wine are blackcurrant, cherry, cinnamon and plum. Merlot wine is generally spicy, aromatic and musky.

The Pinot Noir grape is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. It needs warm days and cool nights. Founded in Burgundy in France, it has a very high acidity for a red grape. Main flavours found in wine produced from the Pinot Noir grape are beetroot, liquorice, plum and berry.

The Syrah grape, or Shiraz as it is known in Australia, produces full and rich wines of intense colour and flavour. In Australia, due to the warmer climate, Shiraz is generally sweet and ripe-tasting. Syrah grown in France, with its cooler climate, is more peppery and spicy. Other flavours in Shiraz/Syrah are black olive, menthol, raisin, spice and soy.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is the premier red wine grape in the world. It is the dominant grape in Bordeaux, and has dark cherry, cedar, tobacco and blackcurrant flavours in its wine.

The Grenache grape is a sweet grape, and is one of the most planted grapes in the world. It produces a fruity wine, full in flavour with spicy overtones. It is used in France to make both red and rosé wines, and in California for just rosé wine. Flavours in its wine are violets, plum and confectionary.

The Zinfandel grape is almost exclusively planted in California. It makes a solid red wine with good fruity flavours. 'White Zinfandel' is a Zinfandel rosé that is left slightly sweet with an acidic balance. Main flavours in this wine are watermelon, red pepper, nutmeg and wild berry.

From merlot to muscatel, shiraz to sauvignon, the next way to classify wine is by country. The main wine producing countries are France, Australia, Chile, the USA, South Africa, Italy and New Zealand. Spain and Portugal are also big producers, with Germany, the Balkan countries, Canada, Asian countries and even England being the smaller producers.

Each country generally grows a few different types of grape depending on its climate. Regions have become famous for their production of a particular grape and wine, like Bordeaux in France with Cabernet Sauvignon, or Marlborough in New Zealand with Sauvignon Blanc.

France has seven main regions for wine production. These are Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Alsace, Champagne and Beaujolais.
Grapes grown in Burgundy are Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay. Dry whites and rich, textured reds are produced here.

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot produce deeply flavoured reds and sweet whites.

Grapes grown in Rhone are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat. Red, white and sparkling wine are made here and are generally earthy, big wines, some with a slight fizz.

Grapes grown in Loire are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Wines produced here are red, rosé and white, some sparkling. Loire reds are rich, its whites dry and go extremely well with seafood.

The Alsace region is known for its production of Riesling, and grapes grown here are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinto Gris. Alsace wines are generally sweet that are Germanic in flavour.

The Beaujolais region produces Chardonnay and local Gamay grapes. The Gamay grape is particular to the region, and produces sweet, light bodied wines. Wines made here are both red and white, some slightly fizzy. Beaujolais wines are generally fresy and fruity.

The Champagne region produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes. Wines made here are both red and white, but the area is obviously famed for its production of sparkling wines.

Recommended French wines: Cotes de Rhone, Beaujolais Villages, Chablis, Cristal Champagne

What's the story with Champagne?
Only the above grapes are authorised to produce Champagne, and sparking wines produced in other countries and even other regions of France are not allowed to be called 'champagne'. Bubbling wine is called 'spumanti' in Italy, 'seki' in Germany, 'cava' in Spain and ' vin mousseux' in other French wine regions. 'Brut' is a term that refers to the driest of champagnes. Even if a label reads 'extra-dry', a brut Champagne will be even drier.

Australia has been producing world famous wines for years. It has the highest level of wine consumption of any English speaking nation, and its wine industry is one of the best in the world.

New South Wales is the most successful and well known area of Australia. In The Hunter Valley alone over sixty different grape varieties are grown, and due to the very warm climate, distinctive, high quality wines are produced here that are sought after throughout the world.

Victoria was once the largest producer of wine in the country, but due to an outbreak of Phylloxera in the 19th century, its vines were devastated. Phylloxera is a tiny insect which destroys grapevines by killing their roots. Victoria has only made its recovery in the last fifteen years, and so has a very modern grape collection that is mixed with Bordeaux varieties, producing full, fragrant, minty wines.

About 60% of Australia's wine is produced in South Australia. The red soil of the Coonawarra region has a high mineral content, thus producing richly flavoured and textured wines. A lot of Australia's best known wines come from this region, including Penfolds.

Recently Tasmania has begun to develop vineyards and is expected to join the ranks of the rest of Australian wines in the near future.

Recommended Australian wine: Any Penfolds wine, especially their Shiraz.

America
America's west coast is the main wine producing are in the country. California is the biggest producer, with Washington State and Idaho being smaller producers.

The Napa Valley in California uses about 80% of its workable land for grape growing. It is an area with rich soil and a balanced climate, so produces really flavoursome wines with big tastes. Napa vine growers attempt to imitate French wines, and it has to be said, they haven't done badly.

The Pacific Northwest region also produces some great wines. The cool climate means that wines produced here are similar to the Northern European wines.

The wine industry is currently expanding into Washington State. Merlots and Cabernets are produced well here.

Idaho vineyards are at a very high altitude, and grapes grown here tend to have naturally high sugar content, which gives them a good body and taste. They are also quite fruity.

Recommended American wine: Blossom Hill Zinfandel

South Africa
South Africa has been producing fine wines since the 17th Century. The mixture of good soil and great weather has meant that it is an ideal place to cultivate wine.

It is only really in recent years that South African wines have taken to the world stage. Before and during Apartheid, there were many reasons why the wine market stayed local, mainly due to international politics and economic policies. AS these policies are changing, however, and since freedom was achieved in 1994, South African wines have developed far beyond its borders.

White wines of South Africa are highly reputable in the industry and are known for being light, crisp and fruity in flavour. Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay grapes thrive in the South African climate, and produce aromatic and spicy wines.

Although the white wines have a better image than the red wines, there are a number of South African reds that are of a very high quality. One of the best is a cross between the Pinot Noir and the Cinsault, a grape from southern Rhone. This wine is called Pinotage and is extremely flavoursome and pretty complex.

South African shiraz is also a successful wine which, light and fruity, is enjoyed globally.

Recommended South African wine: Nederburg Pinotage

Chile
Chilean wines taste quite different to other wines. The climate is prefect for grape growing, and even deters the Phylloxra that destroyed vines in Victoria.

The chief wine region is the Maipo Valley, and it produces great reds and has recently started making whites. Cabernet Sauvignon made here has a distinct smoky flavour, making it like no other Cabernet worldwide.

The major grape varieties grown in Chile are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Recommended Chilean wine: Any Underraga wine

Italy
Italy is the world's biggest wine producer, but it only exports one quarter of it. Like France, Italy is divided into wine producing regions.

Sicily produces more wine than any other region in the country. Sicilian wines are very high in both flavour and quality

Piedmont produces dark reds, light whites and some sparkling wines. Wines are woody in flavour, and the sparklings are really high quality.

Tuscany produces Chianti and some white wines. These wines are very rich in taste and are generally high quality.

The Valle D'Aosta region produces light red and white wines. They are light and delicate in flavour, and they are high quality. These wines, however, are quite hard to find outside of Italy.

The Veneto region produces red, white and sparkling wine that are nutty, fruity and sometimes bitter in flavour. They are highly acclaimed among wine makers, and are good quality wines.

The Umbria region produces Ovierto, a rich white wine.

Sardinia wines are similar to sherry, and are popular the world over.

Recommended Italian wine: Pinot Grigio

New Zealand
New Zealand is such a diverse country in regards its people, its culture and its landscape. This is also true of its wine. The variety of climates and soil type results in a diverse array of styles, and the country is divided into ten main wine regions. The main regions are Aukland, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Martinborough in the North Island and Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough in the South Island.

The North Island, with its maritime climate, has about 240 wineries while the cooler South Island has about 160. A lot of these are concentrated in the Marlborough region, which is in the north eastern corner of the Island. Otago, in the cool Southern Alps region of the country, has recently come to the fore due to its new vineyards and in particular for the Pinot Noir grape.

New Zealand has become world famous for its Sauvignon Blanc. It is also a producer of great Chardonnay and Riesling, Chardonnay being the most planted grape variety in the country. An up and coming star of New Zealand wine is Pinot Noir, so keep your eye out for that.

Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Montana Cabernet Sauvignon, Hunter's Pinot Noir.

Portugal
The main regions is Portugal are Minho, Douro and Dao. Dao is renowned for its production of velvety, smooth reds and are popular internationally. Wines from Minho are also exported throughout the world; reds being quite sharp while the whites are quite soft. Douro is the most famous area of Portugal for wine and th primarily produces Port. About 40% of the grapes harvested here are made into port, while the rest are made into table wine.

Recommended Portugese wine: Esporão Reserva, Dão Dom Ferraz

Spain
The wine industry in Spain is as old and established as that of France. Spain produces a lot of red wine, sparkling wines and Sherry. The three main areas are Rioja, Catalonia and Jerez.

The Rioja is probably the best known wine region of Spain. When the Phylloxera epidemic hit France in the 19th Century, many of its winemakers came to Spain. The French then taught the local Spaniards how to make wine, and the rest, as they say, is history. The wine they produced was very strong and flavourful, and even today, this is still the case. Many of the Rioja reds are aged for ten years in large wooden barrels, giving them a distinct wooden taste that appeals to many.

Catalonia is where most Spanish wines are produced, with Merlot and Cabernet being amongst the wines made here. Catalonia also specialises in the production of Cava, or sparkling wine.

The city of Jerez is one of the most famous of the Spanish wine regions and is where Sherry is produced. It was the British who made Sherry famous in the 19th Century, and interestingly, the word Sherry is English for Jerez.

Recommended Spanish wine: Vina Sol, Sangre del Torro, any Cava.

What do the experts say?
Paolo Tullio grew up in a wine producing village in Lazio, Italy and so wine has been an integral part of his life. He remembers drinking wine from an early age. 'As a child at mealtimes I got a half-glass of wine topped up with water or Gassosa. Vines grew in our house and all our relatives made wine. A love and interest in wine has been with me since then.'

Paolo looks for 'complexity' in a wine. Obviously passionate about it, what excites him is 'a wine that lingers long on the palate, that offers a variety of flavours, that has an initial taste, then a middle taste, than a long-lasting after taste.

A self-claimed fan of dessert wine, Paolo loves the 'great French wines from Bordeaux', Barbaresco and Ornellia from Italy and loves his Italian village's local red.

Also being a food critic, Paolo knows the importance of pairing wine to food. "Don't drink sweet wines with fish", he advises. "Try sherry with soup and foie gras with Sauterne(a dessert wine). Beaujolais doesn't really match up with any food."

How to taste a wine

1 - Look
The best way to examine the colour of a wine is to hold it up to the light or examine it against a white tablecloth. White wines range in colour from green to yellow to brown. Red wines range from pale red to a deep browny red, usually becoming lighter as they age.

With red wine, tilt the glass slightly and have a look at the 'rim' the wine makes. A purple tilt may indicate youth while an orange or brown one indicates maturity.

2 - Smell
Next, swirl your wine and take a quick whiff. Then take one deep whiff, sit back, and contemplate the aroma. Try to verbalise what you are smelling, be it fruity, grassy, oaky or petrol smells. Different people smell and taste different things from wine, so don't be afraid or embarrassed of disagreeing with others about a wine.

3 - Taste
Lastly, take a sip of the wine. Try to establish whether it is a sweet or acidic wine. Work out what your first impression is and then keep it in your mouth for a few seconds while you examine the body and texture of the wine. Is it smooth or harsh, light or rich? What flavours are you getting from it? Then swallow the wine and think about the taste that remains in your mouth. This is called the aftertaste.

After tasting the wine, evaluate your overall impression. Did you like the wine? Was it what you expected? Was it appropriate for that type of wine? Was it too dry, too sweet etc?

Useful Wine Terms
Body - The weight of wine in your mouth, commonly expressed as full-bodied, medium-bodied or light-bodied.

Finish - The taste that remains in your mouth after swallowing. A long finish indicates a wine of good quality.

Nose - The particular smell of the grape variety, i.e., appley, fresh, grassy.

Bouquet - A tasting term used to describe the smell of wine as it matures in the bottle.

Palate - The feel and taste of wine in the mouth.
Tannins - Tannins are found in the skin of some wine grapes, and vary in concentration. They sometimes give wine a 'grainy' feel. They can give wine body, some people describing tannic wines as 'big' wines. Tannins are considered desirable in wines that are aged and over time, the tannins soften and add to the complexity of a well-aged red.