Legend has it that Cleopatra once promised Marc Anthony she would "drink the value of a province" in one cup of wine, after which she drank an expensive pearl with a cup of wine. Marilyn Monroe is rumored to have bathed in a bathtub of champagne.

The lure of wine is cross-cultural and going strong. Enjoying wine, once surrounded by pomp and circumstance, is now something that many of us do on a daily basis to enjoy food, friends, and family. There is no reason each experience shouldn't be as exceptional as taking a bath in Champagne. Knowing a few simple tips about tasting wine can enhance your wine experience by leaps and bounds and easily transition you from a wine lover to a wine expert.

The wine of Bordeaux is often thought of as the pinnacle of perfection for many wine lovers and wine experts across the world. A prized bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus will go for about $2500, if you can find it.

Bordeaux can be some of the most sought after, lovely, and expensive wine out there. But you need not be scared away. There are many high quality bottles of Bordeaux that can be found in any price range. You just have to know how to hunt them down.

There are two broad quality categories of wine in the European Union: table wine and quality wine. On average, less than five percent of an annual German wine harvest goes into table wine production.

The quality wines from the 13 German wine-growing regions are made from riper grapes and subject to higher standards. Basic quality wines, Qualitatswein b.A. (QbA), and higher quality dry varietals labeled CLASSIC, are great for every day enjoyment and are best consumed while young and fresh. SELECTION is the term reserved for superior dry varietal wines. They are ideal for find dining or festive occasions and benefit from aging.

How To Taste Wine

Often times, I will be at a wine tasting, or even out with friends, and they say "How am I supposed to taste the wine?" I suppress the urge to say something silly, and tell them to do the "Five S's" to taste the wine.

The "Five S's" are relatively simple: Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Swish and Spit (or Swallow). By thinking about these five steps, the tasting of wine can become a vastly different experience.