The best way for anyone to learn more about wine is to sample as many different wines as possible. However, tasting a lot of wines at one time can be expensive — and lead to one serious hangover next day. So what’s the answer? Start your own wine group. Starting a wine tasting group with friends will not only provide exposure to a wide variety of wines while sharing the financial burden, it could also lead to friendships. Personally, I have learned more about wine from the two wine tasting groups I belong to than anything else.

The first thing to remember when beginning your own wine group is that wine should be fun. Develop a group, either old friends or new, that is interested in learning more about wine in a relaxed way and is dedicated to attending each gathering. Keep your group small. Eight people is ideal, since this insures that the group remains intimate, easy to manage, and, most importantly, everyone gets a decent pour of each sample.