10 steps to starting a grown-up wine collection

2. Perfectly cool

'Cool' and 'dark' are the watchwords for preserving flavour, say experts at Decanter magazine, with between 10 and 15°C being the ideal storage temperature; so avoid frost-susceptible places (such as unheated garages). 'Garden sheds and all but the most protected outbuildings are unsuitable because temperatures can drop below –4°C,' says wine expert Jancis Robinson, co-author of The World Atlas of Wine.

3. Adjustable temperature

If you're after storage equipment for all your grape preferences, a temperature-controlled wine cabinet may be your answer. The wine experts at Tesco recommend looking for models that allow you to set independent temperatures at different levels – for example, Champagne on the bottom shelf at 8°C and clarets on the top at 18°C. Check out their Caple WF1103 Freestanding wine cabinet. Also, look for charcoal filters, which help prevent wine contamination.

4. Fragrance free

'The absence of smells is absolutely vital,' says Jancis Robinson. 'So don't store your wine anywhere near old cans of paint or garden chemicals.' Also be aware that glass doors may display your collection beautifully, but they don't insulate it as well as solid doors. (If opting for glass doors, make sure they're UV-protected.) This Turin Oak WIne Cabinet from Oak Furniture Solutions will keep your plonk well-guarded.

5. Lay down the law

Keep the majority of wine bottles laid down to stop the corks drying out. Look out for humidity, too – you need just enough to preserve the seal of the corks (although Champagne and sparkling wine fare well standing upright, because they're protected by the layer of carbon dioxide in the bottleneck). 'Screw-top bottles can be stored at an angle,' says Jancis Robinson. 'But a key rule with any bottle is not to store it by a cooker or on top of a fridge where there are frequent blasts of hot air,' she adds. Make a feature of your wine with this Dutch Wine Bottle Holder from A Place For Everything.

6. Warm body

Store and serve red wine at room temperature to ensure it retains its body and flavour. Should yours feel a little chilly, warm the bottle up with this clever Twin Wine Cooler and Warmer from Very. Then pour, swirl and enjoy a deep, knowing sniff – you'll look every bit the connoisseur.

7. Grape gizmos

Now come the extras. A crucial gadget for any wine buff is a vacuum pump, which sucks the air out of the bottle once opened, keeping any leftover wine fresh by reducing the amount of air that it is kept in contact with. Best buys include the Vacuvin wine saver pump and stopper from Amazon.

8. Bubbly preserver

And swap the silver-spoon trick for a more reliable Champagne saver: to really preserve the fizz in wine, look for a clip-on stopper with arms that clip down over the neck of the bottle and maintain an air-tight seal. Try the Stainless Steel Champagne Stopper by M&S.

9. Novice in the know

Just starting your wine collection? Start gen-ing up on areas, techniques, vintages – perhaps sign up for a wine course, or do some homework reading with this Wine and Food Handbook. Linda Bexell at Waitrose says 'Always buy two or more bottles. If a bottle is spoilt, it's always nice to have a second one in reserve.'

And if all goes well, you may find yourself at the beginning of a life-long love affair.

10. Glass glorious glass

No wine snob would underestimate the importance of the perfect wine glass. The Riedel company have created the first range of glasses to be based exclusively on the characteristics of grape varieties. Sniffing, swirling and spitting from these Special Reserve Oaked White Wine Glass, from Dartington Crystal, ensures that the full flavor is expressed. We'll toast to that.