You and your buddies used to stay up all night drinking beer and doing whisky shots. You'd have drinking games which ended up in everyone getting plastered. But that's exactly what your parents did during college and probably their parents, too. The times are changing now, though, and there are plenty of new things to try. Wine tasting is just one new growing trend that's becoming a part of many young people's communities throughout America.

Now, if you grew up in Italy or France, you've probably been drinking watered down wine since you were about four or five years old. Catholics drink wine at mass every Sunday and wine is served with every single meal. It's common practice and tradition. But in America, drinking wine has been something that's been reserved for special dates or older connoisseurs. Recently, though, wine has found its way into the dorm rooms and apartments of a younger population.

So, you want to be a part of this growing trend. It's easier than it sounds, but there's still a little research that you'll need to do. You can't just head down to your local liquor or grocery store and pick up any random bottles of wine that strike your fancy. Do some research online. There are plenty of resources for determining what type of wine you'll like best. And there are hundreds of different wines. And it's best to get a range. Get five or six bottles. You're already trying something new, so why not go all out? Be sure to ask your friends to bring over some wine of their own, too.

Next comes the cheese. Cheese is always a great thing to be eating along with wine, especially if you'll be trying many different types of wine. You can also try out new types of cheese; there are literally thousands of varieties. Not all of them will go well with wine, but if you do a little homework and get a variety, you'll do fine. Try looking at health food stores or Farmer's Market.

You can't have a wine tasting party by yourself, so be sure to invite a lot of friends, particularly members of the opposite sex if you want to impress them with your new, mature pastime. Make it clear that only wine is to be served. No other alcohol, period. Make flyer invitations. Lay out platters of sliced cheese ahead of time and be sure to have plenty of wine glasses. Drinking wine out of a paper cup just isn't the same, according to Death Cab for Cutie. For some added fun, have your friends bring over some new music CDs and have an area clear for dancing.

Once you have a wine tasting party, I'm sure you'll find that this could very well be a new hobby of yours. It may be something that you'll want to take part in at events and when it comes to the next big date, you'll be able to impress by knowing exactly what to order.