One good thing to come out of the call for a general election is that the much criticised 10% tax increase on cider announced in Mr Darling’s recent budget had to be dropped because there was insufficient time before parliament was dissolved. What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider AllAboutApples.com think they know.

According to a recent research study, the most commonly ordered wine in a restaurant is the second one listed, or the second cheapest on offer. People don’t want to be seen as being too price conscious by choosing the cheapest, equally they don’t want to over-spend. We always recommend you try the ’house’ wine - it is usually the cheapest, has to be ’acceptable’ and if it’s not ask to change to something else - a decent restaurant will be more than willing to be accommodating. But, what wine to choose, see our article on food and wine pairings in the club Features section.

Years ago screw cap bottle tops were consider inferior and associated with poor quality wine. Nowadays, that certainly is no more the case and many wine producers and consumers favour the screw cap over other types of stoppers. Just look around the off licence shelves to see how much wine is now sealed with a screw cap including some quite pricey selections. Find out more in our Corks and corkscrews feature.

What is tannin? Is it a) an additive winemakers add to wines to help preserve sweet flavours, or b) a natural preservative and one of the components that gives wine its longevity? Brush up on your wine vocabulary and knowledge in the Vino Club Information section.