I’ve recently begun enjoying wine and trying different types. Up until now I played with the idea of getting more ‘into’ wine, but got scared off because I thought I needed deep pockets or a country club membership.

Since I’ve begun my exploration I’ve found that there is a lot of bad information out there about wine, finding the right wine, how to store wine, etc.

Here is a list of the 5 most common wine myths…debunked.

1) Good wine has to cost a lot. Not true. First of all there really isn’t such a thing as a ‘good wine’ at least not a one size fits all. A good wine is one that you enjoy. Period. It doesn’t have to come from France or be expensive or be red or white, it’s whatever you like the taste of.

2) You have to let your wine breathe by taking out the cork. While it is true that allowing more oxygen into your wine, aeration, will help improve the flavor and aroma of some wines just taking the cork out doesn’t do any good. The opening of the wine bottle is too small to allow a lot of air in. If you really want your wine to breathe either pour it into a wide mouth decanter or into a glass about 15 minutes before you plan to drink it.

3) You have to have white wine with fish and red wine with meat. This isn’t wrong but it’s a little narrow. If you prefer white wine and you’re having steak than have white wine. Again it’s really about what you like. This general guideline is just that, a general guideline but at the end of the day you have to enjoy the wine you drink so that should always be your first criteria.

4) You can tell a good wine by sniffing the cork. Not so much. Really the only thing you can tell by sniffing the cork is whether or not the cork is moldy. Other than that the best way to tell if a wine is any good is to smell it and taste it.

5) You can’t store an opened bottle of wine in your refrigerator because it will go bad. If you put the cork back in the bottle most bottles will be just fine for 2 to 3 days in your fridge.

There, I hope that helps. Don’t let the idea of trying new wines intimidate you. Trying a new wine with friends and family with a nice meal is one of the simple pleasures of life. Just don’t get too caught up in all the ‘rituals’ and enjoy your wine drinking experience!