Master sommelier Andrea Immer likes to do identical tastings for both beginner and experienced wine drinkers. She recommends offering all the "Big Six" grapes at one time because tasters understand the big picture.

The Big Six grapes are Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Immer suggests deciding on a price range and then ask friends to help bring the wine.

Step one: Buy your wines — Andrea Immer's 2004 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone, is a good place to start.

Riesling •  Fetzer, Echo Ridge, California •  Château Ste Michelle, Johannisberg, Washington •  Kendall-Jackson, Vintners Rsv., California

Sauvignon Blanc •  Hogue, Fumé Blanc, Washington •  Buena Vista, Sauvignon Blanc, California •  Kenwood, Sauvignon Blanc, California

Chardonnay •  Gallo of Sonoma, Chardonnay, California •  Robert Mondavi, Private Selection Chardonnay, California •  Hess, Select Chardonnay, California

Pinot Noir •  Beringer, Founders' Estate, California •  Indigo Hills, California •  Duck Pond, Oregon

Merlot •  Gallo of Sonoma, California •  Christian Moueix, France •  Fetzer, Eagle Peak, California

Cabernet Sauvignon •  Los Vascos, Chile •  Casa Lapostolle, Classic, Chile •  Santa Rita, 120, Chile

Riesling •  Gunderloch, Riesling Kabinett Jean-Baptiste, Germany •  Strub, Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Spätlese, Germany •  Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace, France

Sauvignon Blanc •  Michel REDDE, Pouilly-Fumé, France •  Robert Mondavi, Napa Fumé Blanc, France •  Ferrari-Carano, Fumé Blanc, California

Chardonnay •  Geyser Peak, California •  Edna Valley Vineyard, California •  Benziger, California

Pinot Noir •  Frei Brothers Reserve, California •  Elk Cove, Oregon

Merlot •  Château Ste Michelle, Columbia Valley, Washington •  Franciscan Oakville Estate, California •  Shafer Vineyard Cellars, California

Cabernet Sauvignon •  Château Larose-Trintaudon, Bordeaux, France •  Franciscan, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, California •  Raymond, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Step 2: Set up your glasses — Number the glasses from one to six and include the grape names. Identify the wines with small pieces of paper, napkins or use a computer to make small placemats with numbered circles.

1. Riesling
   
2. Sauvignon Blanc
   
3. Chardonnay
   
4. Pinot Noir
   
5. Merlot
   
6. Cabernet Sauvignon

Step 4: Taste the wines in numerical order — Hold the wine glass by the stem and hold it up to the light. Swirl the wine and smell the fragrance.

Glass #1, Riesling — The color is pale yellow-green. This is a light-bodied tangy, fruity wine.

Glass #2, Sauvignon Blanc — The color is often straw yellow in this medium-bodied wine. Go back and smell the Riesling and notice the contrast. People have different connotations of "dry." Try to use specific flavor descriptions such as apple, lime, lemon, etc.

Glass #3, Chardonnay — This color is yellow-gold, the darkest yet. Swirl it and smell. This wine is more full-bodied than the Sauvignon Blanc. It is rich and heavy and is the most popular of the Big Six.

Glass #4, Pinot Noir — This red wine has white wine texture and is the most translucent red wine. It's soft and is the lightest-bodied of the red grapes in the Big Six.

Glass #5, Merlot — This wine is medium-bodied, which makes for intense red wine flavor without being too heavy. Compare the color and texture to the Pinot and you'll notice that the smell is stronger.

Glass #6, Cabernet Sauvignon — Cabernet is dark and full-bodied. The scent is stronger and more intense and delicious. Cabernet's scent and "flavor profile" are the paradigm for most of the world's top-quality red wines.

Article Adapted from Great Wine Made Simple by Andrea Immer.
© 2000, Andrea Immer; reprinted with permission from Broadway Books.