Interested in learning more about wine but not sure where to start? Napa Valley giant Robert Mondavi has introduced a new Web site, www.discover-wine.com, designed to teach wine beginners how to throw a wine-tasting party (and perhaps try some of the label’s wines in the process).

The site offers instructions for a party geared toward learning about aromas and essences. The goal is to improve your ability “to identify essence scents and flavors in the wines.” Not surprisingly, the directions recommend starting the process with two Mondavi wines: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay ($10.99) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99).

Though you can use whatever wine you like, the Web site provides detailed tasting and smelling notes for the Mondavi wines. Hosts can print out tasting guides from the site. The guides for the guests include questions, but the one for the host includes the answers, too. The group proceeds by smelling essence samples, such as coffee, berries, nuts, or vanilla. Then after tasting the wines, guests discuss which of the essences they detect in the wines.

The site includes plenty of information not limited to Mondavi wines, including discussions of essences and aromas; a handy wine aroma wheel, which can be customized for different varietals and printed out, and an e-mail form for asking a wine expert questions directly.

For party planning, there’s a system that allows the host to design and send e-mail invitations out directly from the Discover Wine site. There’s also a wine locator: Type in your ZIP code and the search engine turns up a store in your area that carries the Mondavi wines recommended for the party. According to Mondavi’s brand marketing director, Andrea Smalling, this feature was created in response to calls from frustrated users who had trouble finding the recommended wines.

About four times a year, the varietals and the party concept on the site will change. Coming up later is an iteration of the site devoted to throwing a wine and cheese party. The essence tasting information will remain on the site for those who missed it.

For a celebrity angle, Mondavi brought in Ted Allen, of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” as a guide to the site. In his comments, he uses the same principles that he discusses on the television show: Keep things simple and fun. At Mr. Allen’s suggestion, the site will soon include some very basic information about how to enjoy wines.

“We are going to be adding a super-beginner section,” Ms. Smalling said. “What if you don’t know how to use a corkscrew?”