People are becoming more inquisitive about wine, according to a review website, as bloggers and social media help to dispel the perception of it as a stuffy, old-fashioned drink.

Hatim Dungarwalla, managing director of lovethatwine.co.uk, said even the casual wine drinker has a more sophisticated understanding and palate compared with five years ago, partly due to a growing tendency to pair food with wine.

"There's a much deeper understanding of not just red and white, with people able to discern depth of flavour ... It's a much more sophisticated and healthy attitude to wine that we are seeing from the vast majority of people," she commented.

For those taking their first steps into wine appreciation, Ms Dungarwalla recommended Barolo, an Italian red made from the nebbiolo grape.

Research from Mintel recently indicated that the trend for wine appreciation is not limited to the UK - after beer, wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage consumed in the US, with two-thirds of drinkers regularly enjoying a glass.