If you do not know your Petrus from your Puligny Montrachet, it may be best to own up rather than faking and joining the ranks of those who make the most common wine blunders.

A survey by pub and restaurant operator Chef & Brewer revealed some of the most toe-curling faux pas that wine drinkers make - including pronouncing the silent 't' in Pinot Noir and complaining about reds being served at room temperature.

Perhaps even worse, one in 20 people have claimed wine is "corked" before discovering it came from a screw-top bottle, while the same number have asked for a slice of lemon in their wine glass.

"If you aren't used to drinking wine it can take a while getting used to all the terminology and it can be confusing," commented Duncan Macdonald, wine purchasing manager for Chef & Brewer.

According to Matt Kramer in the Wine Spectator, those hosting a wine-themed dinner party should restrict themselves to a single "standout wine" for the evening instead of a "relentless series of trophy bottles".