Understanding and appreciating wine can add an extra dimension to the basic routine of eating and drinking. A greater understanding can also enhance the experience of tasting it while making it easier to purchase it.

Below, three of the best places to add to your wine repertoire.

1. The Web

(a) Winedoctor.com run by Chris Kissack. A focus of Bordeaux but plenty of thorough writing on other areas.

(b) Wineanorak.com run by Jamie Goode.
In addition to tasting notes, there's plenty on both the business and science of wine.

(c) JancisRobinson.com run by the Grand Dame of wine writing, Jancis Robinson. Charges a €79 annual subscription to her site. Well worth it though.

2. Wine Courses

While there's plenty of wine courses available, here are my top picks:

1. Dublin Wine Academy: part of the Cooks Academy and ably run by Des King, who also works for Gleeson Wines, so there's plenty of experience there. dublinwineacademy.com

2. Kevin Ecock: A huge amount of experience in the wine world and the ability to distil it down into interesting digestible nuggets. kevinecock.ie

3. Dermot Nolan: if you have your sights set on a diploma in wine, then look no further than Dermot Nolan, one of only three Masters of Wine in Ireland, the highest academic achievement in wine.

3. The Wine School of St Emilion

There's no better way to immerse yourself in the pursuit of wine knowledge than to go to the epicentre of the wine world, Bordeaux. Run by Bruno Baillarguet, the Wine School of St Emilion offers a number of tailor made packages to suit budget and preferences.

www.le-package.com

Fly direct to Bordeaux with Aer Lingus

Lar Veale runs Irish wine blog, sourgrapes.ie