A magazine which describes wine as tasting like a supermodel in latex? This is some of the radical prose from new magazine, Wine X, designed to capture the attention of young readers. This new wine and lifestyle magazine is aimed at 18- to 39-year olds "with the core group in their late 20s- early 30s."

The first issue was published in December last year and it costs $5.95. The cover shot is a bucket's view of a young woman spitting red wine. It features younger writers such as Ben Canaider, Zar Brooks and Kate McIntyre, and new names who aren't necessarily recognised as scribes.

It has fashion, food, hangover "cures," beer, CD reviews, books, weird grape varieties, cigars, surfing, tour reports on New Zealand and Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and heaps of attitude. The tasting pages are called...what else but... X-rated: "Pepperjack Cabernet Sauvignon 1998: rich, dense chocolate, liquorice, squeaky-clean fruit. Imagine Naomi Campbell in latex. Righto, that's enough." Or this: "Basedow Bush Vine Grenache 1998: Clean kitchen spices. Appealing to the mothers out there. Geoff Jansz on stage under lights at Westfield shopping centres cooking beef stroganoff."

Allusions to music, sport, cars, famous people and sex are everywhere. "It provides an approachable medium for young people to appreciate wine," says publisher David Gorrie. "Whereas I don't think they have that with existing publications. They focus on the more mature market."

"People are put off by the jargon. We try to make it fun but offer a decent level of information as well." Going on the first issue, I'd say he's going to succeed handsomely.