HOW do you drink and think like a sommelier? Decoding a heavy wine list can be an exhausting and intimidating experience, especially when the sommelier approaches the table to take your order.

But in the right hands, the picking process should be an enjoyable and exciting one. After all, you both share the same passion for wine, and a good sommelier will always want to suggest the best style to suit your taste, and budget.

Of course, the food plays a huge role. But whether you're dining in a world-class restaurant or a gastro pub, a lot of thought will have gone into the wine list, especially the entry level wines which you can usually count on to be good.

To help overcome the fear of which wine to choose, have the confidence to say how much you'd like to spend. Not only will the sommelier thank you, but it breaks the ice and opens up the cellar door to easy drinking wines at moderate prices, great classics, heavyweights and exclusive cuvees.

As Vincent Pastorello, head of wines at The Dorchester London and three Michelin star Alain Ducasse has said: "Wine can bring that extra sprinkle of magic that will make you remember your experience."

But where does a savvy sommelier start when creating their 'It List', and what do they look for?

While we may be happy with a nice, neutral pinot grigio, or think an Argentinian malbec that's 'rich enough to spoon' is the bees knees, Pastorello wants a wine to be fresh and elegant, to taste of where it comes from and have a story... that he can then share with you.

"The wine must talk about it's origin, the area where it's made and the grape variety," says Pastorello. "I try to avoid high alcohol wines and I like the use of oak to be balanced so it doesn't take over the fruit. The soil and climate must talk, the winemaker is there to express it - not to change it."

Top sommeliers such as Pastorello visit wineries six to eight times a year to assemble their wine lists, see their regular, trusted winemakers, taste the vintages and meet with new suppliers to explore which wines they have to offer.

Each has a tale to tell (they can be charismatic and fun) and their identity, philosophy and expression of the region is reflected in the bottle that's put on the table.

Alain Ducasse boasts a 1,000-bin wine list with bottle prices soaring to £10,000, but you can still sip like a sommelier and order a glass of wine that's a joy to drink (from £9 to £59) from a selection of more than 40 wines by the glass, including champagne.

However, value for money doesn't necessary mean cheap: "Expensive wines can represent great value for money, whilst cheap wines can be equally poor value," says former World Sommelier Champion Gerard Basset OBE, Hotel Terravina, "It's a delicate balancing act to get the quality:price ratio right, and excellent quality is the single most important factor."