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Now that you learned the 5 S’s of wine-tasting last week, we can move on to more tricks and tips from wine lovers—the high-mined collectors, perpetual sippers and even full-fledged sommeliers. Read on for a few other bits of wine wisdom to bring to your tasting (and take-home) experience.

Time in a Bottle
First, after winetasting at your favorite restaurant, don’t just note the name of your favorite. The year of the grape harvest affects the taste of your wine, too. Every wine harvest differs from the last. Don’t expect a 2007 bottle to taste the same as a 2006. Chances are, it won’t. That’s why sommeliers bring your bottle out for you. Check the label—the date matters as much as the variety.

What’s in a Name?
Speaking of differences, some assume that a Syrah and a Shiraz are two different varietals. There is, in fact, no difference. The variant spelling denotes your wine’s origin: a Syrah hails from France, while your Australian or Californian blend is usually marked as a Shiraz. Chalk it up to marketing.

Put a Cork in It
And a bit more on marketing, if we may. We’re willing to bet that you’d fail to detect a bottled wine from a boxed wine in a blind taste test. And we’re not blaming your inexperience. Franzia isn’t the only boxed wine anymore—in fact winemakers are finally embracing boxed packaging as wine lovers get used to the idea. Even high-quality wine is packaged in boxes now, which is good for your collection as it keeps your blend fresher, longer. Divorce yourself from the idea that bottled wines trump boxed ones every time. The stigma’s finally been put to bed.

That Wine Looks Good on You
As for pairing, keep in mind that there’s a wine for every food. It doesn’t just go well with cheese, or chocolate or Italian food—even though those all sound lovely. The truth is, there’s potential for an awesome wine and food pairing at every meal, regardless of the menu. Even fish tacos go well with wine: we recommend a Southern Cal Chardonnay pairing for your sea-faring meal. (See what we did there?)

Custom dictates that we drink white wine with white meat and reds with red meat. But we say that you should pair wine and food according to your taste. If you love reds, it’s okay to enjoy cabernet sauvignon with your chicken.

Viticulture Value
If you like cheap wine, you’re lucky. You can buy twice as much of your favorite than the friend who prefers a $50 bottle. You’re lucky AND economical.

Hopefully, this beginner’s guide to winetasting will give you the confidence you need to venture into viticulture’s territory. Oh, we almost forgot. Don’t you dare smell the cork.