Readers of The Oxford Times will be familiar with the name John Stimpfig, anchor of our Wine Club and resident writer and expert on matters of the grape. But what will be less well known is that Mr Stimpfig has now drawn on his vast knowledge, and that of many others, to set up a business.

Taste-In is a service which brings a professional wine tasting service to your own home, or the venue of a corporate event.

And the person conducting the tasting is not the local manager of the off-licence but a leading light in the wine world.

Even non-wine afficianados will recognise the names of Jancis Robinson, Oz Clarke and Malcolm Gluck, who have built up international reputations as authorities on the subject.

They are among 18 writers and broadcasters on the books of Taste-In who are available for hire.

Their presentation promises to not only be informative but highly entertaining, whether it is a pre-amble for a dinner party, or part of a major conference involving hundreds of delegates.

Oxford-based Mr Stimpfig, 47, who runs it with fellow expert Sophie Jump, said: "I started the business because I discovered there was a lot of demand for this service from the corporate sector."

On the day of the tasting, Mr Stimpfig and Ms Jump will turn up with all the glasses, wines and the expert speaker.

Consultation will have taken place with the client on a whole range of matters, such as the level of formality, the type of wine, budget, or the particular speaker required.

Speakers vary in age, and Mr Stimpfig says they can be matched to the particular demographic of the audience if required, or the style of the event.

The tasting always starts with a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne before the speaker is introduced and the two-hour session begins.

A total of eight wines are tasted and with the average audience calculated at 18, then two bottles of each are provided. The cost is about £100 a head.

Mr Stimpfig added: "What is exciting is that you are tasting very good, interesting and often unusual wines.

"More than that, you are being provided with live entertainment with one of the world's most famous wine experts."

The presentation' is usually a lot more informal than it sounds, with interaction encouraged wherever possible.

"If you want a serious wine tasting, we will give you it but most people want to have fun, as well as being entertained and learning a lot about wine," said Mr Stimpfig.

Some of the wines can cost up to £100 a bottle but Mr Stimpfig says every tasting is different because of the variety in people's palates, which can create a talking point in itself.

As for feeling intimidated in front of such an expert, then Mr Stimpfig is quick to put people's minds at rest. This service is as much aimed at the complete wine novice as someone with a cellar bigger than Baron de Rothschild and there is little room for wine snobbery.

Serious tasters can be provided with spitoons but these are rarely, if ever, used.

"These wines are too good to spit out," laughed Mr Stimpfig.

"It is about having a fairly informal, but entertaining experience based around wine."

Often the tasting precedes a dinner party but the experience does not have to stop there.

Taste-In can provide food suited to the wines and even arrange for a chef to cook a meal which will be naturally complementary.

As for corporate events, there are many advantages to holding a wine tasting, according to Mr Stimpfig.

He said: "It is an experience - a lot of senior executives like wine. Often wine is seen as being a little exclusive, so what we are offering is the inside track on a closed world.

"Also it is more cost-effective than a trip to a football or rugby match and more inclusive, because women enjoy wine as much as men, but that is not necessarily the case with sport."

Mr Stimpfig has been writing about wine for about 14 years and, as well as The Oxford Times, he contributes to the Financial Times and Decanter magazine. He has won a clutch of prestigious industry awards.

He said: "I love wine, I love talking about it and I was convinced there was an opportunity here. It is going very well so far."

Many events hosted by Taste-In have been in London, although recently Mr Stimpfig travelled to Monte Carlo, to provide a tasting for 300 executives from computer giant IBM.

And he is hoping to tap into his home' market in Oxfordshire, convinced there is a demand for his services.

He said: "Running a business is a lot of fun. It can be a lonely experience being a writer, so it is good to work with other people."

n Contact: Taste-In: 07748 948278 www.taste-in.com