We all make mistakes. While drinking wine isn’t difficult – you open a bottle, pour the wine in the glass and take a sip – there are several common mistakes many people make in the process. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Here are five of the most common mistakes people make with wine, and how to correct them.

You’re Holding Your Wine Glass Wrong

While it might be more comfortable and seem logical to hold your wine glass at the bottom of the bowl, doing so is actually not good for the wine. The reason wine glasses have stems in the first place is to avoid our own body heat warming the beverage, which can impact everything from the smell to the taste (usually not in a good way). Also, holding the glass by the stem or the base makes it much easier to actually swirl the wine and open it up, another reason for the traditional wine glass design.

You’re Serving Your Wine (Especially White) At The Wrong Temperature

Even though some commercials show white wine being served ice cold, and most wine shops sell red at room temperature, they are both not meant to be served that way. Serving a white wine too cold locks down all of its flavors and aromas, leaving you with very little to taste and appreciate. Sure it might go down easy because it’s so cold, but you’re robbing yourself of all of the wine’s delicious aromas and flavors. In terms of red wine, serving it at room temperature often causes the wine’s alcohol flavors and aromas to dominate, instead of the delicate fruit, which can make it taste flat and flabby. Cooling it down slightly before serving prevents this. For more on the proper serving temperatures for wine, see this infographic.completely miss how you got there in the first place. And that’s one of the most enjoyable parts of drinking wine. For more info on decanting, here’s our 101 guide.