Venture beyond the popular whites. As an alternative to rich chardonnay or lighter, crisper pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc, try an off-dry Riesling with hors d’oeuvres (good values include Covey Run and Columbia Crest Two Vines). Or consider a light, complex pinot noir (Meridian and Beringer Founders’ Estate are CR Best Buys), served slightly chilled with salmon from the grill.

Don’t sniff at screwtops. More and more good wines are coming with a cap. Screwtops can’t admit air, so the wine won’t become “corked,” or develop a musty odor.

Think small. Some wines are sold in plastic quarter-bottles, handy for picnicking.

Keep it cool, not cold. As a rule, white wines chilled to refrigerator temperature will be too cold, and reds served at room temperature will be too warm. Try to chill lighter whites and sparkling wines for about 2½ hours; chardonnays for about 90 minutes; lighter reds such as Beaujolais or pinot noir for a half-hour or so; and heavy reds such as cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy opened bottles later. In blind tests, our experts found it hard to distinguish wines that had been recorked and stored in a wine cellar for a week or so from just-opened wines.