Learn about wine with an expert

Yvonne Lorkin, wine connoisseur.

Some people find it hard to fathom that a single glass of wine could change someone's destiny. That a single sip could put the "oh" in wine-oh, but after sipping from a glass containing Te Mata, Coleraine in a dingey Christchurch Bar, Yvonne Lorkin changed her life path.

"I had heard of the Coleraine spoken about in hushed terms and knew it was one of the 'flash' ones, but the way it smelled of red roses and tasted on plums. Oh. It was memorable."

That single glass of wine set the then student on a path to becoming a renown wine reviewer, editor and judge where she immersed herself in the wine world, moved to Australia and earned her stripes as the most distinguished student at Australia's Roseworthy College.

From there, thanks to a lot of hard work, she has never looked back.

Lorkin is visiting Mills Reef Winery soon to host a dinner where novice and more experienced wine-ohs, can match wine with delicious food over a four-course dinner.

During the evening, they will pick up some of Yvonne's tips on how to get to grips with understanding wine aroma, texture and flavour and also ask her any questions.

She says appreciating wine isn't as mysterious as some believe, but one key thing to do is taking the time to train your nose.

"You don't have to be a dick about it, just take a few extra seconds to think about the wine you are about to drink, and see if it reminds you of anything."

To instantly skill your nose, she recommends going into the produce section of the supermarket and sniffing the fruit, grabbing packets of spice and sniffing those. "Once you've done that, it's in your brain and you have a reference point."

Some people wonder why some wines have distinctive smells - such as why Savignon blanc smells grassy and why syrah is peppery.

"We're not just making it up, research has shown sauvignon shares similar DNA with some grasses and syrah has the same chemical compounds as peppercorns."

The Mills Reef event promises to be fun filled and casual, she says, that experienced and new wine appreciators will enjoy.

Mills Reef has raided its wine cellar and diners will be sipping its best wines, matched to a delicious four-course meal. Bookings essential, ph 576 8800.

the fine print
Yvonne Lorkin wine matching over four course dinner
Where: Mills Reef Winery.
When: August 7, 7pm.
Tickets: $135.