Wine tasting and collecting was once the reserve of aristocrats and the upper classes who coveted huge dusty cellars filled with priceless wines.

But now wine has become much more accessible with choices to suit all budgets and Halifax General Insurance has some advice for those who may be starting their collections during World Wine Week.

Wine consumption in Britain has risen by at least 60% since the early 1990s with the average person now drinking more than 20 litres each, per year. If current growth rates continue, this figure is expected to rocket to 25 litres by 2006. By which time, wine sales are predicted to reach £6.9 billion and Halifax General Insurance is urging all wine lovers to check they are adequately insured for their collections.

In recent years, wine collecting has emerged as a fun and rewarding pastime that anyone can enjoy. One common misperception is that you need lots of storage space below your house to keep wine when in fact a small cupboard will do just as well. Indeed, anyone who has bought wine and saved it to drink later has, in effect, created his or her own wine cellar.

Make sure you can prove ownership of your wine, says Halifax General Insurance and check to make sure that your insurance policy covers a wine collection should it accidentally end up on the kitchen floor.

Receipts or a photographic record should be kept of particularly treasured or expensive bottles and where possible, proof of the current market value should also be accessible. Specialist wine magazines are a good source for this.

The world of wine is forever changing with new producing regions emerging and trends and fashions coming and going. For example, during the 1960s some brands of Liebfraumilch sold for more than some Bordeaux wines.

But with so many types of wine, different regions and good and bad years, setting foot into the huge world of wine can be quite daunting. Halifax General Insurance have compiled some pointers on how to feel at ease amongst the vast range of Latours, Lafites and other fine wines:

• Buy wines that you know and actually like.
• Bordeaux and Vintage Port make good investments as they appreciate in the long term.
• Wherever possible buy full cases of wine as the original wooden case is an important part of a wines provenance.
• Be wary of wine that has been traded a number of times as it is likely to have been exposed to heat, light and movement.
• Visit www.superplonk.com and you can enter the name of your local supermarket, what kind of wine you are looking for and how much you want to spend. It will bring up recommended wines for that price, available in that supermarket.