We’re all big girls, we read about consumption levels and the damage it causes – the bits that are going to shrivel and fall off etc.. But that’s going to happen to us anyway. So why not enjoy a good glass while you can eh? I’m talking about honing your taste buds and having the courage to try something different every week rather than grab a bottle of the usual stuff. Eight out of ten women buy wine in their weekly shopping and apparently, according to research published in The Guardian last year, a third of British women enjoy a glass at the end of the day and want to drink it alone – preferably in the bath. Personally too many bubble baths have ruined a good glass, so I prefer it curled up on the sofa!
What to buy then? The UK is 13th on the world import list of still and sparkling wine by volume. In 2008 imports reached a staggering 135.8 million cases (1.6 billion bottles) and over the next five years, consumption per person is forecast to rise to 28.3 litres per person per year (that’s your license to sip ladies!). We’ve still got a bit of catching up to do before we catch the French who boast a whopping per person consumption of 58.8 litres and the Italians at 56.4 litres. Given those statistics, there’s a role to be played for us women in terms of buying power.
TO BORDEAUX OR NOT TO BORDEAUX – THAT IS THE QUESTION…
When women buy wine, 74% of us are driven mainly by price, followed by the grape variety and the country of origin. This means that you may well shuffle over to New World Wines primarily because they, unlike French wine makers, name the grape variety on the label. So, if you like a full bodied Shiraz, the Aussie label says it all. Job done! But wouldn’t it also be nice to explore those full bodied wines of the same grape from a different country eg. France where it’s known as Syrah. Yes, same grape but different ‘handle’. And just like the Aussie Shiraz, the Syrah (mainly planted in the Rhone region) will give you a full bodied wine with the flavour of soft black fruit, like blueberries and blackberries and soft tannins (which help the ageing process).
"Why doesn’t everyone put the grape variety on the label?" you may ask. Well, put simply, the French certification body (Appellation d’Origine Controlee or AC/AOC) is to blame because it’s their regulations that define a number of issues including; areas of production, its ‘viticulture’ (planting, pruning), general handling of the vine and ‘vinification’ methods (ie the actual wine making), and what grapes can be planted. The AC regulations mean that the grape variety cannot be named on the front of the label.
This is probably why I see so many women clutching a bottle of Hardys or Gallo (good safe choices) but with a bit more courage and wine savvy those powerful women buyers could easily cast their eyes to those upper shelves in search of something new and rewarding.
Next time you’re shopping for wine, take a risk – and if you don’t like what you’ve bought, provided you haven’t managed to get any bubbles in the bottle, I’m sure that the supermarket or merchant will take it back. Here’s some beauties that are available to buy right now:
Waitrose:
Chat-en-Oeuf (lovely play on words), the label has a cute picture of a striped cat on the front. A blend of grapes from the Cote du Ventoux area near Chateauneauf-du-Pape. At £4.99 a great buy. Soft berry fruits. An easy drinking wine with or without food.
Chateau Musar a gorgeous wine from the Lebanon at around £15.99. The main grapes are Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon. I know we’ve been talking all about Syrah but it’s always a personal favourite of mine. It’s full bodied, aromatic and complex and cries outfor food.
Sainsburys:
Casillero Diablo (Shiraz) from Chile. In fact this whole range is well worth exploring and the Sauvignon Blanc is a worthy rival to any New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Usually about £6.99 a bottle.
AND IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE ALTOGETHER...
The Bernard Series “Basket Press Syrah” at £9.99 is another “I’ve died and gone to heaven” wine. These grapes truly have been carefully caressed (as the title states, a basket press) to yield a wonderful juice. Berries in abundance, rich hints of spice and violets with soft smokey vanilla oak. I shared this with some friends recently and this went down a treat.
And just to close...one of the funniest quotes about wine involves a ribbon tattoo on Johnny Depp’s arm: When he was in a relationship with Winona Ryder the tattoo read “Winona Forever”. Following their breakup he had it changed to “Wino Forever” – a man after my own heart!
THE FACTS:
- The UK is 13th on the import list of still and sparkling wine by volume
- In 2008 imports reached 135.8 million cases equivalent to 1.6 billion bottles
- Six out of 10 women in the UK (61%) drink wine once a week and 56% drink mostly red
- UK excise duty is £1.61 on a bottle of still wine (75cl)
- UK per capita consumption is 27.9 litres on wine
- Australia and France are the UK’s most important suppliers
- Europe’s wine growing region was wiped out by a bug (phylloxera) in the 1860s. As a result, European vines are grafted onto American rootstocks.
