Names can make or break. Brand names, baby names, getting someone’s name right… getting someone’s name wrong… The ritual at Starbucks of having to give my name to the till girl makes me not only feel uncomfortable but pledge never to return for anything other than convenience every time they get it wrong. What other such frivolous transaction requires you to part with cash and a personal detail? I spend a lot more at the supermarket and leave with comforting anonymity every time. Company names that do exactly what they say on the tin are just as crucial, so it was with interest that I accepted to taste a few wines from a company called Half Wine.

Half wine, half what? Well, half the size it turned out. ………

Mr Bouquet and I are hosting a New Years Eve party. It’s like second nature these days, it’ll be the third one I’ve held in the last four years… If it wasn’t for the fact we make a seriously mean punch I’d wonder if our guests send their RSVP in anticipation of us opening some of the good stuff. Au contraire mes amies, it’s a house party, there’ll be wide spread memory loss before midnight so what’s the point? And the clear up the next morning is made much less painful at the sight of that bottle of Bollinger still intact on the wine rack. Trust me.

New Years day is typically greeted with a headache, a blur of take-aways, recycling bags and forfeits ………

I’m a huge fan of Stylist magazine, and used to love the Lucy Mangan Out Spoken columns. I think we have some things in common, like her dismay at other people’s reaction to her not taking her husband’s name. As I prepare for my own wedding, I’m experiencing the same looks of bemusement and pity (the first at me, the later at him). But one rip-out-and-keep column has long stuck in my mind; she addressed her dislike of people who proudly proclaim their ignorance of certain things. “Why be proud of your lack of knowledge about anything!” she exclaimed. As a wine professional, I’m always amazed at how excited people get when they hear I work in the wine trade but you’d be surprised how often their enthusiasm is followed by a confession of how little they know about the subject!

Let’s get real for a minute; ………

A new wine app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch has been launched by wine blogger Miss Bouquet. My Wine Friend offers consumers a platform to build a ‘notebook’ of the wines they’ve been drinking, enjoying – and those they haven’t liked. It allows users to take photos of, write their own tasting notes on, and rate wines using a star system – a tool designed to ultimately help general wine consumers get to know their own wine tastes.

The creator of Miss Bouquet explains: “When I started my blog two years ago, I wanted to write about wine in the way I speak about wine when I’m out and about with friends, not in wine trade talk. The research I’ve done shows that consumers who enjoy wine want to know more about it but they don’t necessarily want to join a wine club, subscribe to a wine magazine or pay to go on a wine course, the app has been designed to reflect that, it’s about the we live now and the way we drink now. ………

There are quite a few big dates on the horizon. Have you noticed? 29th of April Wills and Kate get married, 23rd of September I get married, and May is the country’s first ever National Wine Month! Have you heard about it? It’s the wine industry’s first attempt at talking to the great British Public as a collective. Under the same wine umbrella and under the same rather catchy strapline ‘Make Time For Wine’.

Chez Miss Bouquet we’re really excited about Making Time for Wine in May and I wanted you to be the first to get a sneak preview of what the Miss Bouquet team have been working on to celebrate! May I tease-troduce you to My Wine Friend…. by Miss Bouquet, a wine iPhone app designed to help you become your own wine expert!

Official launch, May 2011.

Thanks to National Wine Month there’s going to be a lot of wine stuff going on throughout May. Lots of tastings, retailer promotions, winemaker events and more, for a full list of activities visit the Diary page of www.maketimeforwine.org.