Wine can be thought of as a sometimes mysterious and sometimes snobby subject filled with descriptions of fruits, flowers and other aromas and flavours which seem to have no relationship to alcoholic grape juice.

With the removal of duty on wine in Hong Kong and expected reductions in the price of wine, it is now more accessible, particularly to those from overseas accustomed to much more sensible prices for their favourite tipple.

But why would anyone want to spend their spare time learning how to taste and describe wines, understand how they are made, why one wine is different to another and why some wines cost more than others? Surely it is just so that they can sound clever at a dinner party. No, not really (well, at least not usually).

I have seen some paintings that I have really liked but I have never sat in an art gallery and stared at a painting for hours and admired the use of colour, light and shadow in a painting because I don't have enough knowledge about art. Knowledge increases enjoyment in almost every sphere of life.

We all know how to enjoy a nice glass of wine (or even several glasses!). We open our mouth, pour it in and enjoy both the taste and, on occasion, the intoxicating effect. With knowledge, however, wine can evoke thoughts of aromas and flavours, of people and places and can form a part of the conversation rather than being just the lubricant of conversation.

If we understand what to look for in a wine, we get more from it. If we know why we are getting more from it, we will be able to make more informed choices when buying wine. We will be disappointed less often and excited more often.

All sorts of people come on wine courses. Of course there are the professionals who are in the wine or food and beverage industry seeking advancement within their own company and there are those seeking employment in the industry but there is also an increasing number of those who are not in the industry and have no interest in the industry. They just want to enjoy their wine more and they understand that knowledge is the key.

So what can you learn on a wine course? The language first of all. When someone asks you what you think of Cabernet Sauvignon, you don't want to answer by saying you don't follow football. You want to be able to say that it is too tannic for your liking and you much prefer Pinot Noir.

But more importantly than avoiding feeling foolish, you learn what aspects of wine make it special. How to detect and describe aromas. What the different sensations a wine can give in the palate. How balance, body and structure are judged. What the influences of winemaking techniques such as oak maturation have.

You walk out of a class feeling ready to try more wines, explore more grape varieties and the wines of more countries and more regions. The happiest moment in my time as a wine educator was when a student from France (who you would imagine would know a lot about wine) said "I'm going to call my parents (who own a vineyard) and tell them finally I get it, I can smell all that stuff you've been talking about all these years". That is what wine education is all about.

And when a student says "Now I've decided I'm only drinking Bordeaux First Growths", that is when I would know that we have failed. But it's never happened and I'm sure it never will.