Wine guru reveals clever tricks to get the perfect glass - including putting an open red in the FRIDGE, ditching ice buckets and buying direct from cellars

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, many Brits may be opting for a romantic night in rather than a meal out at a busy restaurant.

If you're considering treating yourself and your partner to a nice bottle of wine, the good news is you don't have to spend as much as you think.

Sommelier Sam Tyson, who has 20 years experience in the vino industry and is an expert at Winebuyers.com, an upmarket wine and Champagne club, says a great tasting bottle doesn't have to break the bank.

He also recommends gambling on less well-known regions and vineyards and not being snobbish about where your plonk comes from.

Speaking to FEMAIL, here Sam shares his top tips for enjoying a delicious glass of vino every time. 

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, many Brits may be opting for a romantic night in with a nice bottle of wine rather than a meal out at a busy restaurant. Pictured: stock image

£10 WINE IS JUST AS GOOD AS £20 WINE 

'There are plenty of wines that cost £20 that shouldn't and plenty of great wines at £10,' Sam said.

'If you're after the lightness of the esteemed Pinot Noir, try an South African Cinsault for a much better price point. 

'The Ardèche in southeast France and the whole of the Auvergne, a region in central France, has seen recent interest in its wines. 

'Previously they were really only seen locally, but the demand for Burgundian wine and better infrastructure has seen an interest in this most moderate part of the Rhone corridor. 

Sommelier Sam Tyson (pictured) has 20 years experience in the wine industry

'This producer's other wine comes from the St-Joseph over the river from the hill at Hermitage, but I find this wine consistently trumps it's more prestigious partner.' 

Sam told how Muscadet, a dry white wine produced mainly in the Loire region, has become deeply unfashionable in recent years, and after devastating frosts many growers have given up the ghost. 

'This has always been a mystery as this bone dry, zingy textured wine couldn't be better designed for modern palates,' he said, adding that it can be a great alternative to generally more expensive Chablis. 

Sam recommends sourcing wine direct from the cellar door to find real value online. Winebuyers sells an organic 2017 Tempranillo red wine called Luna Lunera from a project on the edge of the Spanish Meseta for just £6 a bottle. 

People are often perplexed by the wine aisle, especially when the usual suspects are often available for a reduced price. 

The reality is, if a wine is regularly discounted from £10 to £6, it's probably worth the latter. If a bottle is always the same price, it's probably valued pretty accurately.  

ALWAYS KEEP AN OPEN RED IN THE FRIDGE

The longer a red wine remains decanted, the longer it loses its aroma and flavours, as exposure to air spoils the wine. 

Sam said: 'I think we are aware that red wines like to "breathe", but also that once a bottle is opened it starts to spoil. 

'If you are going to drink the whole bottle and don't mind the washing up, then decanting is a great way to realise value by making the wine you've paid for better.' 

If you have an open bottle of red wine, it's best to decant it into a smaller container and store it in the fridge for freshness. Pictured: stock image

As a rule of thumb, you should typically decant a red wine around 30 minutes before pouring - and always keep it in the fridge overnight if you don't finish it all. 

'Almost any reaction happens more slowly at cooler temperatures, making the fridge an excellent spot to rest your red,' Sam explained.

'The more wine in the bottle means the longer the wine will remain fresh, just like milk. 

'To this end, transferring any remaining wine into a smaller bottle can really help. Just remember to take it out of the fridge well before you want to drink it!'   

VINEYARDS NEXT DOOR TO RENOWNED ONES ARE JUST AS GOOD - BUT CHEAPER

'The world of wine is full of hidden gems. There are plenty of houses making fantastic wines, but without the marketing budget, sponsors, and the like,' Sam revealed.

'Champagne lovers, for instance, can find equally fantastic Crémant from the rest of France. 

'Consumers can also find amazing value in wine that is resolutely unpopular due to perception rather than quality, such as dry sherry or German Rieslings.' 

Most people have heard of Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio -  but a lesser known variant of the same grape is Grauburgunder.

Sam recommends giving it a try: 'This has really nice spice, evolution and balance and were it to come from over the border in Alsace, France, would cost an awful lot more.'  

ICE BUCKETS MASK POOR QUALITY WINE

Sam warned that over-chilling a wine can dull its taste and mask some of its sweetness. 

Sam warned that over-chilling a wine can dull its taste and some of its sweetness - while ice buckets are sometimes used to mask poorer quality wines. Pictured: stock image

'This means that ice buckets are often used to mask poorer quality wines, like the cheaper house option,' he added.

'If the wine is served at the correct temperature, you really shouldn't need an ice bucket. But of course, overly-chilled wine can also be a personal taste.' 

WINES FROM LESSER-KNOWN REGIONS ARE AMAZING

Wines from regions like Chile are markedly cheaper than those from France, but can be equally amazing, according to Sam.

'While some people are simply better at making wine than others, the nationality of the wine does not inform its quality,' he said.

'More recent changes in the Eastern European economy have seen a spectacular improvement in the wine production of countries such as Croatia, which are really worth trying.

'Much of our opinion and attitude to wines are based on ideas and perceptions from hundreds of years ago. 

Wines from regions like Chile are markedly cheaper than those from France, but can be equally amazing, according to Sam. Pictured: a vineyard in the Cochagua Valley in Chile

That isn't to say that the great vineyards of the world no longer make great wine, but the world has expanded and it's demonstrably false to dismiss an entire continents' wines.'  

Sam recommends a highly regarded wine from the Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula called Ante Sladić Debit (2018), which costs £8.55 a bottle and uses indigenous grapes not often seen in the UK, but with a huge history and pedigree.

'Long, mineral and dry, the quality of this wine is apparent; the difficulty lies in getting it in front of people,' he said. 

THE SHAPE OF THE BOTTLE CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE TASTE

The shape of the bottle is a choice of the winemaker or the wine region, but there's inference to style to be made here, according to Sam.

'Tall fluted bottles are consistently filled with delicate, aromatic wines,' he said.

'You'll also notice that most Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots appear in high-shouldered bottles. 

'These grapes are the widest planted grapes in Bordeaux and the shape of the bottles are mainly a visual indicator to the customer of the provenance of these grapes. 

'This rule also applies for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Burgundy bottles.' 

NEVER LET WINE DOMINATE FOOD OR VICE VERSUS

If you have strong opinions on whether pineapple belongs on pizza but think that wine matching is a fabrication, then you're mistaken. 

'The basic rule is that wine shouldn't dominate the food, nor the food the wine,' Sam explained.

'This means that richer foods go with richer wines and lighter wines go with lighter dishes. 

For seafood, Sam suggests lighter white wines to compliment the delicate taste of the fish. Pictured: stock image

'If you feel like a casserole, it doesn't mean you won't like a tomato and mozzarella salad on another day. It's all about finding the right wine for the right moment.'

Lamb and beef work well with solid, full-bodied red wines, because tannins will combine with muscle tissue and fat to release an extra flavour to the dish. 

For seafood, Sam suggests lighter white wines to compliment the delicate taste of the fish. 

Pork is often served with a sweet apple sauce, so pairing it with a fruity wine can be quite delightful. 

If you have a salty food like smoked salmon or a dish with soy sauce, however, in it can benefit from both acidic and sweet wines. 

'The fun, of course, is all in the experimentation,' Sam added.

OLD VINES INDICATE GOOD QUALITY WINE

Sam told how old vines are always a strong sign of quality that you can look out for on the label. 

'Older vines make more interesting grapes and, as they produce less wine, show that the producer has chosen to sacrifice quantity for quality,' he explained. 

'Once a vine is older than 25 years, most wine producers would replace it as it becomes less profitable. However the quality of fruit can continue to rise for 50 years - and certainly longer!'

He recommends a full bodied wine from Aragon in Spain called El Botijo Rojo Garnacha (2015), priced at £9.99 a bottle, which is limited production.