With money a little tighter at the start of the year, and some friends doing Dry January , it doesn't feel quite right to splash out on an expensive bottle of wine. Buying a cheaper wine is always a risk, though. Sometimes a £6 Sauvignon or special-offer Pinot slips down a treat; other times, the sharp aftertaste feels as though it's corroding your throat. Now one keen wine-drinker has shared a simple trick that he reckons could improve a poorly-balanced vintage. Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft's former chief technology officer, told the Wall Street Journal that he added a pinch of salt to a glass of Cabernet at a dinner party after a guest said it wasn't savoury enough. That guest was none other than Gina Gallo of E. & J. Gallo Winery , and she was apparently very pleased with the result. "Pretty soon everyone at the table was doing this," Myhrvold said. Now, this trick's not going to work with all wines, but if you find yourself drinking something that's just a little too sweet, it's surely worth a try. Incidentally, if you're looking to shake up your wine-drinking habits this year, these new flat wine bottles could be just the thing.