A regular customer at a now-deceased members' bar once told me: "Human beings will always need three key people: doctors, undertakers, teachers, and bartenders.

"… Okay, so that's four," he corrected himself, waving a polemic, if inebriated, finger in the air..

People will always drink - whether to woo, celebrate, or drown their sorrows. And as it's historically one of the first industries to recover from a recession, and with vintage wines plummeting in price, it's not a bad time to know your grapes.

Hello Vino, the SMS wine-pairing service, is a step in the right direction if you're aisle-browsing. But our very own Wine Chap's new website is an absolute salvation for the oenophile in the making, with its enthused advice, a growing community of grape-lovers, and independent reviews of London's top wine lists (NYC and Hong Kong are also en route).