Here's part three of myth busters:

Bigger is better: Let's say that in your cellar you have a half bottle, a regular 750 bottle and a magnum of the same wine all of the same vintage. Which bottle should you drink first? Wine in magnums age more slowly, as the opening in the neck cavity is not much larger than the others, it contains more volume, so drink the half bottle first, then the regular size and save the big guns for a very special occasion. As far as wine goes, bigger IS better.

Smelling the cork when it is presented: Many years ago when the cork was removed from the bottle and the server placed it in front of you, many people would pick it up and give it a good whiff. This has become passé. Originally the cork would be presented when pulled because in the olden days unscrupulous barkeeps would reuse high-end wine bottles that were refilled with plunk. The finer establishments would present the cork so you could check to see that it belonged to that particular bottle. Next time you are presented the cork you can check it to learn the possible condition the wine was stored: It should be moist but hopefully not saturated. The cork might give you clues to the quality of the wine but for the most part putting your nose in the glass and wine on your palate is what is the most important. And please, even if the cork looks crumbly or even if it actually breaks, give that wine a chance — it may be a beauty! Also be sure to swirl and aerate the wine some. I'll never forget the time we almost poured a musty-smelling Opus One down the drain but I kept it for cooking; hours later that smell had blown off and it turned out to be fabulous.

Check the cork but don't smell it.

German Riesling is a sweet, cloying wine: Perhaps you remember when German Riesling usually came in "blue" bottles at the supermarket with long names like Liebfraumilch. My, how things have changed. There are so many styles of Riesling available out there to choose from — dry, off dry, mildly sweet, sweet and nectar of the gods. It's no wonder that many sommeliers, when asked if they had to pick only one varietal for the rest of their days, would pick Riesling. It also matches so many foods with its great acidity, especially our island cuisine.

Trust your friendly wine store and have them turn you on to a Riesling. You won't be disappointed.

Sulfites in red wine give me a headache: Time after time, people come into the department looking for a sulfite-free wine. They tell me they are allergic to sulfites in the wine. I can find them a low-sulfite wine but there is no such thing as a sulfite-free wine as sulfites occur naturally in grapes. Very few people are actually allergic to sulfites. If you can eat dried apricots and not have a reaction then sulfites are not the problem. And it is a fact that white wines actually have more sulfites than reds. The next culprit are tannins; they also get the blame for red-wine headaches. Black tea has a high tannin level and you hardly ever hear of someone talking about a black-tea headache. So why do some people feel rotten after drinking red wine? Probably it is due to the higher alcohol content in reds (especially New World reds). Try looking for lower-alcohol-content reds and drink a glass of water for every glass of wine.

It is probably not the sulfites that give you a headache.

I won't drink any *%&^$ merlot: We can thank the movie "Sideways" for giving merlot a bad rap. This wine became so very popular in California and elsewhere in the 1980s when pioneers brought this noble grape to the Golden State. This is one of the five Bordeaux varietals and is the backbone of some of the most sought-after and prestigious wines in the world. Softer and easier to drink than many other wines and with a name that's easy for the consumer to roll off the tongue, "merlot" became synonymous with "glass of red." The funny part of the movie "Sideways" for those in the know is that when Miles sits at the diner drinking his precious Cheval Blanc out of a paper cup, that is a merlot-based wine.

Forget Miles! Merlot is a fantastic, complex and wonderfully easy to drink wine.

Champagne should be opened with a loud celebratory pop: You see it all the time. Someone opens a bottle of Champagne with a loud explosive "pop," foam rolls down the bottle and everyone celebrates. That may make for a memorable scene in the movies, but in real life, you should open that bottle slowly and carefully and have nothing but the slightest hiss escape the bottle.

Save the explosions for the fireworks on New Year's and savor the bubbles in your bottle of Champagne.

Other tips:

A great Riesling with almost any Asian/Hawaiian food: Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Kabinett '06 runs about $30.

An excellent red wine that shouldn't give you a headache: Leon Barral Valinere '02, at $58.

My favorite elegant merlot: Peju Merlot '05, $46.

Cynthia Fenner is a certified sommelier and the wine buyer for Neiman Marcus Epicure. Reach her at 948-7557 or hawaiiwinegirl@gmail.com.