About us

Wine, explained with
patience and good manners.

WineTheGuide is an independent, plain-language guide. We write for the person choosing a bottle for dinner as carefully as for the student or the sommelier. Our approach is informed by international standards — including those set by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine and qualifications from WSET.

Explore the guides Get in touch

What you will find here

Three ways to learn, one quiet place.

Read

Guides on grapes, regions, making, labels, storing, serving and tasting, written so a first-time reader is never lost.

Use

Small tools for real questions: how much alcohol is in a glass, how many bottles a dinner needs, what to pour with a dish.

See

Charts that show the shape of a subject at a glance, before you read the detail.

Our house rules

Four things we promise on every page.

Wine has a reputation for talking over people. We would rather pour a glass and explain.

i.

Plain words first

Every wine term is explained where it appears, and linked to the glossary.

ii.

Independent

[State how the site is funded and whether producers can pay for coverage.]

iii.

Checked and dated

Each page carries a review date, a reviewer and the sources behind its rules and figures.

iv.

Respect for the drinker

Written for adults of legal drinking age, with moderation in mind. Enjoyment, never excess.

How the library grows

Like a vineyard: one row at a time.

New pages are added steadily, and every one goes through the same four steps.

Planted

A topic is chosen

From the questions readers ask most and the gaps in the seven stages.

Grown

Written in plain words

On the same five-part template, so every page reads the same way.

Tasted

Reviewed and sourced

Facts are checked against their sources and the page is dated.

Poured

Published and linked

Placed in its stage and topic, with its tool, chart and glossary terms.

The people

Who is behind the pages.

A
[NAME] Role, e.g. editor
B
[NAME] Role, e.g. wine reviewer
C
[NAME] Role, e.g. tools and charts

Questions about this site

What you might want to know.

Is WineTheGuide independent?
Yes. WineTheGuide is funded independently and does not accept payment from producers, importers or retailers for coverage. We follow the editorial standards described on this page. For comparison, see how bodies like the Jancis Robinson MW team and the Decanter editorial team approach independence.
Who writes the guides?
Guides are written and reviewed by people with formal wine qualifications or substantial working experience in the industry. Every page carries a reviewer name and review date. Qualifications we recognise include those from WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers.
How do you handle corrections?
If we publish something incorrect, we correct it promptly and note the change on the page with a date — we do not quietly overwrite. To report an error, use the contact form on this page.
Do you cover responsible drinking?
Yes. WineTheGuide is for adults of legal drinking age and is not a vehicle for promoting heavy consumption. We include a responsible-drinking note on every page. For unit guidelines, see the NHS alcohol units page or the Drinkaware guidelines.
Can I suggest a topic or guide?
Absolutely. Use the contact form below. We prioritise topics that readers ask about most, and every suggestion is read. New guides are published steadily — follow the News page to see what has been added.

A correction, a question, or a topic we should cover?

We read every message, and we fix mistakes with a note on the page.

Write to us [EMAIL]