I’ve poured myself into a new hobby during lockdown

ONE of the upsides of lockdowns is they give us all a bit of spare time. Time wasn’t something I had a lot of before the pandemic, but during the spring lockdown, and then during the last one that seems to be lingering a bit, I was worried I’d quickly come to a loose end. And I have an irrational fear of boredom.

So, back in March, I threw myself into a hobby I’d been flirting with for years. I learned more about photography – and, generally, I got a little bit better. Not a lot, but I enjoyed it all the same.

During the latest lockdown I chose to explore another interest I’ve always had smouldering away, and challenged myself to learn more about wine.

I started off reading an old book on wine history we’ve had knocking around for years, then swiftly moved on to a few YouTube videos and some Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure DVDs.

After this brief introduction, I hit the supermarkets to get cracking on my new educational journey, stopping off at the bookshop to stock up on the accompanying reading matter.

Here’s a “flavour” of what I’ve learned so far...

■ Oz Clarke’s books are fab.

I remember seeing him on telly. My first memories of Oz were watching him and Jilly Goolding eulogising about wines smelling like “cut grass” and “wet gundogs” and dismissing it as silly TV arrogance. But his books are nicely written, idiot-proof and often very amusing. I’ve learned a lot from them.

■ Aldi wines are a pleasant surprise.

I expected, during my mission to become a fully-fledged wine buff, I’d have to start visiting posh wine merchants and upmarket supermarkets to find decent examples of the plonk I had to tick off my list. But, honestly, it’s amazing what you can find in Aldi.

Some of their wines are rated so highly by the professionals I’m not sure why anyone would go anywhere else.

There’s some good subscription deals. Having said that, I’ve had a few bargains from some big companies that offer cases of wine at massively discounted prices in the hope you’ll subscribe and buy long term. Virgin Wines, Laithwates and Naked wines were all among those offering cracking welcome packages. It’s a great way of ticking off a few varieties and regions you might not have otherwise put on your list.

■ It’s a minefield – don’t underestimate the challenge.

Books and videos make understanding the intricacies of the world of wine sound really easy, but it isn’t. Unless you’re blessed with a naturally gifted palette, it’ll take you a while to learn to pick out aromas and flavours. And there are so many grapes, so many regions, labels, production and storage methods that you’ll need to commit quite a bit of time and enthusiasm to seeing the topic through. But stick at it, you’ll get there in the end, and it is very interesting.

■ The right glass is really important.

Probably the most important thing I learned early on is that the right glass will bring out so much more flavour and aroma from your wine. So I soon ditched the cheap, thick-rimmed set we’ve been drinking from for years and invested in some more delicate, shapely crystal glasses – making sure I had at least one glass to cover each flavour group. On a few occasions I’ve come close to spending more on glassware than on bottles of wine, but it’s totally worth it, trust me.

■ Drinking every day is not advisable.

Unlike photography, which I made sure I spent plenty of time every day practising, learning about wine isn’t something you can get started on at 9am on a Saturday and carry on learning until 7pm. So I found myself ensuring I only drank a few small glasses of the bottles of the wine I had open per evening, then I put the lids and stoppers on to come back to them the next day.

And even then I made sure I had two or three days away from my “hobby” each week to give my groaning liver a rest. I’m conscious there’s a slippery slope between becoming a proficient wine taster, and then having it with your corn flakes. And that’s not a slope I want to slip down. Oh, and I refuse to spit wine out. I know I should, but that’s a bridge on the road to wine appreciation I refuse to cross.

I’ve got a long way to go in my exploration of the fruits of the vine, but it’s an enjoyable pastime. And it’s surprisingly inexpensive if you’re savvy in your shopping and you don’t overdo it.

I now know my Claret from my Beaujolais and my Sancerre from my Chardonnay, but I’ve still got a long way to go.

I think the trickiest thing after lockdown will be ordering a glass of Malbec in my local pub and resisting the urge to “swill” the glass. That won’t look cool.

And that, incidentally, is another reason, I won’t build on my spitting skills. The landlord would have a fit.