Burgundy: the wine that makes grown men cry "There's no magical way into burgundy," says Gearoid Devaney (whose first burgundy epiphany was a taste of Dujac), a former sommelier now working at one of the most exciting burgundy dealers around, Flint Wines. You've got to put some time in. That's almost true. As with people, the more nuances you uncover, the more rewarding the relationship. But, also as with people, you can begin anywhere, and enjoy their company knowing next to nothing. You start with a single case of wine or a fact, and amass knowledge piece by piece. When it comes to appellations, the outliers (the ones that are most recognisable or most different from the others), are the simplest to get a hold of first: White Meursault (rich, buttery and nutty, in the wrong hands sometimes made to taste like a blunt instrument, oily and fat); red Volnay (light, with a very particular streamlined shape as the tannins seem to sit on top of each other like very fine, soft, thin layers of tissue paper); red Pommard (my image for this appellation is Conrad Black dressed as Cardinal Richelieu; plump and sturdy in a red velvet gown). One by one you add the names of growers, cursing that no one will sell you the heart-leapingly fragrant wines of Domaine Fourrier (and wanting them even more because they are so difficult to obtain), while marvelling that Domaine Jean Grivot makes such architectural pinot noir and that Cathiard's seem to be made of crushed velvet (and to have got awfully expensive). Then, more dangerously, you find you have an affinity with the taste of a particular merchant and, before long, you are not just poring over their burgundy offer and putting in phone calls to your bank manager as you plan tasting adventures. You are also staying up all night to look at Allen Meadows's site burghound.com, reading through the endless notes compiled on jancisrobinson.com (Robinson deploys a team of tasters to fan out, swirling and spitting through burgundy week tasting rooms) and downloading Tim Atkin's latest burgundy report. This is available from January 23; as well as putting in seven 10-hour tasting days in London, Atkin spends a further nine days in Burgundy, as well as goodness knows how long manipulating spreadsheets when he gets back. My verdict after tasting my way through several hundred wines in the past couple of weeks is that, following on from the swooshy 2009 and the glitteringly impressive 2010, 2011 is another good vintage. This, in combination with the fact that the run of short harvests over the past three years - and a global increase in interest in burgundy - has the words "price rises" on everyone's lips, has prompted me to buy the occasional case. If you're tempted to dip into these exciting waters, I would be after a case of the juicy Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Bourgogne Blanc 2011 (Berry Bros & Rudd, £144/12 in bond) or one of the three Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursaults also offered by Berry Bros & Rudd. You could also join me in cancelling gym membership (running outside is free), to help pay for six bottles of Domaine Duroché"s Charmes-Chambertin 2011 (£275/6 in bond; Flint Wines). One day I'll be glad.