Wine is like that super cool kid in school we all want to hang with, but don’t fully understand — thanks to the many myths about wine that are out there, anyway.

Whenever we’re with wine, we seem to be smarter, creative, and more attractive. Wine just gets us. But with that, wine can also be intimidating as all hell. We seem to think there’s a set of unwritten rules we all have to follow if we’re to properly and respectfully indulge in this drink (while still looking very cool, of course). While it’s true that there’s a certain art to creating and understanding good wine, this should not come in the way of appreciating it.

Sure, there are certain cheeses that may pair better with a particular wine, and it’s neat to recognize all those magical flavors so expertly embedded in the drink. But we shouldn’t let all those pretentious naysayers scare us away from just enjoying a nice glass of that vino. And furthermore, don’t let that discourage you from widening your own wine knowledge and exploring. It’s time to put an end to these silly wine myths. Here are nine “commandments” about wine you should never feel like you have to follow.

1. Thou Shalt Spend More Money On Better Wine

As general consumer logic goes, it makes sense that the more expensive something is, the higher the quality should be. Well — believe it or not (it took me a while to be convinced of this one, actually) — that’s not always the case with wine. As Paul Gregutt explained to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, location, image, scores, and celebrity connections are what can raise the price of wine, rather than its actual quality. In fact, a lot of the times, perfectly good quality imported wines tend to over-deliver relative to the price, Gregutt pointed out. So you can totally opt for that ten dollar bottle with all the guilt-free sophistication you please.