Many thousands of years ago, something wonderful happened. Somebody, somewhere (probably in the Med) dropped a few bunches of wild grapes into a bucket and forgot about them. Nature did its thing and tiny microscopic yeast microbes started to eat the natural sugars in the grapes, belching away CO2 and thus fermenting grape juice into the alcoholic nectar we generically refer to as wine.
What a marvellous thing, a global phenomenon, an opportunity for any country, province or region in the world, (above certain lines of latitude) to create their own very best versions of fermented grape juice.
Whilst the global consumption of wine is flat lining, the UK is on the up, consuming
something near 2 billion bottles a year (twice as much per capita as the US) keeping our reputation for ‘socialising’ ahead of our more moderate neighbours. But, like everything else available to us, the sale of wines are heavily marketed; dark arts, pricing power, wine myths and no shortage of wine snobbery suck us all into reaching for the top shelf to get the nod of approval from the wine merchant. A badge of honour, like owning the best car in the street or having the gold- coloured wrist- band in an all- inclusive hotel.
So, how can we find the balance, drink really good wine at a good price. Wine that can reasonably be judged as showing quality attributes, wine that is a very good representation of a grape, a wine region or even ingenuity in the wine-making process.
Supermarkets and Wine
Buying wine is very easy, a couple of clicks on your Iphone, a petrol station, a farm shop and, of course, the mighty supermarkets. Multiple Aisles, 10 Ft high and loaded with a slice of the good times. But, how do we know the wine is good value for the price we pay? Don’t get me wrong, I love a low price, a bargain. In fact, I am writing this article wearing shoes that are slightly tighter than they should be. It was all about the deal I got, not the suitability.
It still amazes me, how a Supermarket can strike a line through £12.99 and state NOW £8.99 – this act along can cause those with a slightly strawberry complexion to get into a punch up with competing bargain hunters – very much like toilet rolls in a pandemic. If you are lucky there will be one bottle of the heavily discounted wine left, still spinning from the panic of grabbing hands.
There is plenty of good wine in Supermarkets, we just need to seek it out for ourselves and not be lured into purchases that help them manage their stock challenges.
More Quality and Less Quantity?
Can it be true that drinking better quality wine enhances the experience? Does the glug morph into a cultured sip? I certainly think so. Would we take more time to savour the wine, using our nose, our eyes and our taste buds to appreciate the wines’ aromas and its flavours? If nothing else, this process alone would reduce drinking time in favour of a new reflective approach.
Where does the wine come from, and what can we expect from that region? What grape varieties are used and what are the typical characteristics? How does the soil, the weather and the wine-making process influence the wine? Is it a good example? Is it good value for money?
Leading you to the promised land
I know that you already ‘like what you know and know what you bloody well like’ but wouldn’t it be great to explore new wines and tune up our wine senses so that we can seek out the best wines for ourselves?
I am a wine enthusiast with a long-standing passion for finding good quality wines at a good price, great examples of what wine can be within a price point and even better wines where the potential tasting experience outweighs the immediate cost implication.
Drinking memorable wines will very often be synonymous with creating wonderful memories and wonderful memories feed our souls with happy fuel for the future.
We hope to see soon you at The Wine Rooms. There is definitely a bottle with your name on it. We just need to find it!