Have you ever felt pressure to choose the 'correct' wine? Or perhaps you've been made to feel bad about your favourite tipple? Jo Evans explores why it's important to drink what you like. After all, wine is a personal choice...
Some time ago, at one of Tanner’s walk-round tastings, I was manning the rosé table and a lady sidled up, looking around like a spy in a spoof film. I was expecting her to say, ‘the squirrel is loose’ or some such nonsense when she whispered, ‘I only like rosé wine, don’t tell anyone, as it’s a bit embarrassing.’ Nonsense, I replied, at Tanners we believe you should drink whatever you like, never be ashamed of your tastes. But later, I started thinking about my fear of wine.
I’m a born worrier. I frequently lie in bed at night, worrying about a multitude of things. World politics. Varicose veins. That wobbly bit underneath your arm. Boys on bikes – I walk to work against the flow of children going to school and dread those that race around the corner, suddenly appearing like packs of wild dogs, sending me spinning like a whirling dervish. But I digress; my fear of wine is up there, too. Have you ever felt that slight panic when your dinner partner asks you to choose the wine? With a WSET level 2, it’s assumed I know which is best, but the questions that arise when choosing for others are numerous. Will I choose the wrong wine and look like a fool? If Sauvignon Blanc is no longer de riguer will the waiter sneer at me and surrounding diners laugh at my poor choice? I scour the list, omitting the bottom half as I’m not ready to declare bankruptcy just yet. What are we eating, what does he like, what do I like? Questions, questions…
But the fear of wine does not arise from the wine itself, which I believe loves me and you in all its forms just as much as we love it, but from the pressure of others. And I am fed up with it. Wine snobbery is a curse and should be eradicated. If I love a particular wine which is seen by some to be akin to a Brit in Benidorm, then so be it. Taste in wine is purely personal, and you should never be made to feel bad by someone else because your tastes or budget don’t match. Let’s go back to the beginning and take the rosé beloved of that Tanners customer. The wine snob will tell you that a white zinfandel is drunk only by women playing bingo. I disagree. The Foxcover White Zinfandel is sweet and delightfully easy to drink with the peachy, strawberry flavours shouting of hot sunny days in the garden, like summer berries in a glass for grown-ups.
German wines, typically Rieslings, are often scoffed at, no doubt due to Gen X-ers having memories of their embarrassingly tipsy parents quaffing Liebfraumilch and dancing to Leo Sayer. But it’s time to put nostalgia to bed and try one of the slatey, mineral lusciousness of German Rieslings. Kallstadt Riesling Trocken, Rings, Pfalz 2022 (organic) is a delight with chalkiness cut with citrus freshness. If you love it as much as I do, you can find out more about it here.
Light and fruity reds are often dismissed as fluffy wines-for-beginners, and Valpolicella was indeed my first foray into red wine at a young age. But they can be complex, with layers of cherry and cranberry shining through, without pesky tannins getting in the way. Try Portugal’s Pacto Palhete, Douro Tinto, Carvalho Martins 2023 for a lively wine, fabulous when served chilled.
Finally, the fizz! Prosecco and its ilk have had a bashing lately, but certainly not from me. What better way to celebrate a Friday (or even a Tuesday) than popping open a bottle of bubbles? There are so many different sparklers out there, from highly-reputable English Sparkling Wines (try Tanners’ new addition, a joy!), to peachy Proseccos, toasty Cavas and some delightful sparkling reds like the Brachetto d'Acqui, "Braida" 2024 which, like that rosé, sings with sweet strawberries and redcurrants. If you prefer something a little more subtle, try the Gouguenheim Malbec Bubbles, Sparkling Rosé Extra Brut, Mendoza, altogether drier but equally juicy.
Tanners is full of wines to suit everyone and part of the reason I love working here is that the sales advisors never make you feel ashamed. Instead, they will happily discuss what you like and ask if you have tried such-and-such, without any pressure to conform.
So, I’ve decided to drop wine from my list of fears (and add ducks instead – don’t ask). After all, life is full of fears; don’t let those wine snobs add to it. Next time my partner asks me to choose the wine, I shall look at the list and plump for what my tastebuds are crying out for in that precise moment. Embrace whatever wine makes you happy!