Drinking red wine is not about how much you can down in one go, but how much you know about it. To avoid being challenged intellectually, take lessons and become a member of a wine club. The Ritz-Carlton holds a wine seminar at Toscana's private dining room on the third Monday of each month, with the next meeting on March 16. Call 2877-6666.
Daily tasting with the Hong Kong Wine Club at Decanter, Shop 301, Exchange Square One, saves you splashing out on wine which doesn't tinker your taste-buds. The club also holds tasting dinners throughout the year, with the next on March 13. Call 2537-9303.
Four or five wines are available for tasting every Saturday and Sunday at the Cellarmaster wine club at Coda Plaza. The atmosphere is informal, and you can turn up in your own time from 11 am to 6 pm. Call 2791-6332.
For serious students, the Wine School offers a basic-level certificate in wines and related studies. The course fee is $4,225, covering tuition, wines for tasting and an examination. The next course begins on March 2. Telephone 2597-4798.
If learning about the relevant chateau is not enough to give you a sense of its wine, visit it in person. From May 12 to 15 Christie's Education will be holding a wine seminar in Reims, the capital of the Champagne region in France. Contact Arblaster and Clarke Wine Tours of England on 00144-1730-893344. Or fax them on 892888.