Wine is one of those commodities a critic can assess with something approaching objective rigour, if so inclined. Tasting wine "blind" – in randomised line-ups where the exact identity of each wine is hidden – is a bit more challenging than checking out the label before you stick the liquid under your nose and slip it over your tongue. But it does mean you're less likely to be predisposed to specific views.

If you're a really pedantic individual, you might elect to taste your wine from a vessel such as the Riedel Blind tasting glass. This mouth-blown Austrian stemware is stained purple-black with manganese oxide to remove distracting visual clues. Yours truly is one such pedant, although I do taste from super-fine Zalto glass and regular restaurant-strength Spiegelau also.