I was recently sent a Sip and Learn wine box. Every month the Sip and Learn wine expert selects two bottles of wine to send out with an information booklet that is jam packed full of interesting facts about the wines which allows the drinker to savour and learn about the wine’s origins, how to taste it, and the aromas that should be experienced from particular wines.

The wine is sent out in a cardboard handled case with plenty of packaging to protect the glass bottles. This month was a white wine variety which included a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay.

I do like my wine and I can tell a good one from a not so good one but I am not that great at working out what I should be expecting from a wine. The nineteen page information guide is divided into sections, including a mini quiz about the two wines in this months box. How to taste a wine information is given and then the basics of wine tasting is broken down into three steps.

The next sections are devoted to the individual wines and advice on their colour, smell and taste.

I found this so helpful and with a little help I really could break down the flavours that I would never have been able to do otherwise.

I especially loved the crisp light citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, but whilst I wouldn’t usually choose a Chardonnay after actually taking the time to think about what I was drinking I enjoyed it very much and would buy Chardonnay again.

There are tips on which foods go best with each wine and also information on why the wines work better with certain foods.

Information about where the wines have come from is also provided plus a space to write your own notes about the wines being tasted.

Whilst there is a lot of comprehensive information in the Sip and Learn booklet it is set out in a visual easy to understand format which has made it a very pleasurable experience for me to find out more about the wines I have been tasting.

Sip and Learn is a twelve month programme, the first 6 months are about discovering the 3 main elements that make a wine; grape variety, the climate and the wine-making process. The second six months are for learning about specific regions or grape varieties, as well as the influence of the terroir on wines and continuing to develop smell and education of the palate.