You have prepared your guest list, devised a delicious menu and chosen the right wine from Kumala's extensive range to match each of your courses perfectly.

Now all you have to do is learn the correct way to serve and taste your wine and impress those all important dinner guests.

To help you on your way, Kumala, the UK's favourite South African wine, has put together a step by step guide to ensure that your wine etiquette is reminiscent of that of a true expert Temperature The temperature of a wine can greatly affect the overall taste and aroma of your wine. If a wine is too cool, the flavours will all be hidden and if it is too warm, all you will be able to taste is the alcohol. Most red wines are best served at cool room temperature (16-18C, 62-65F) while white wines benefit from a couple of hours in the fridge.

Let your wine breathe The idea behind letting wine breathe is to allow the wine to mix with the air which warms it up and opens up its aromas. Red wines are usually the ones which benefit most from breathing and they will often improve with as little as 15 minutes of air time.

Pour your wine Avoid filling glasses too full. By pouring only a couple of inches into the glass, your guests will be able to swirl it around the glass without spilling it over your newly laid tablecloth! The other advantage is that chilled wine stays cold in the glass if it is topped up frequently.

Swirl the wine around the glass The key to doing this successfully is to rotate your wrist while holding the rest of your arm still - this may take a bit of practice! By swirling the wine around the glass, all the wonderful aromas of the wine will be released to the top.

Take a big sniff Stick your nose right down into the glass and inhale deeply. You should be able to detect a variety of different smells. Good smells in a wine include blackcurrants, apricots, smoke and even soil. Don't worry if you can't identify the 'right' smells at first , it is all about just having fun and learning along the way. One benefit of sniffing your wine is that the aromas offer you a preview of what you are just about to taste!

Take a sip Once you have done all the steps above, it is now time to actually taste the wine. Firstly, take a small mouthful and swirl it around your mouth so it comes into contact with all the parts of the mouth - tongue, gums and pallet. To look even more professional in front of your guests, lean your face forward slightly so the wine is resting on your lips and suck in air through your mouth.

Your dinner party should now be in full swing and, with everyone impressed by your wine tasting skills, you can sit back and enjoy a delicious glass of the nation's favourite South African wine - Kumala.

It is fun to learn about wine but remember that all wines are best enjoyed when consumed in moderation. Kumala promotes sensible drinking.