Those planning a wine-centric evening may wish to take some advice from the Wine Spectator's Matt Kramer, who recently offered guidance on avoiding the social pitfalls that can occur.

Serving a "relentless series of trophy bottles" such as Mouton-Rothschild or Petrus is a bad idea, the writer suggested, counselling hosts to restrict themselves to a single standout wine for the evening.

For guests, the dilemma may be what to bring: a wine gift is always appreciated, but the host may feel compelled to open it that night, when it may not match the food on the table.

"When I bring wines I always make a point of saying that this is for the cellar," advised Mr Kramer.

"If the host then wants to open the wine that evening, it's his or her choice."

Those who want to improve their wine knowledge may wish to attend Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter this November, where the heads of all five of Bordeaux's first growths will convene for the first time in 20 years.