HOW TO BE A WINE EXPERT IN 24 HOURS
EVERY year we Brits sip our way through £ 10billion worth of wine. It has overtaken beer as the nation’s favourite tipple, we’re becoming more adventurous in our choices and our spending per bottle is increasing. Yet the mere sight of a wine list still sends many people into a panic. Now help is at hand from one of the world’s foremost critics, Jancis Robinson. Her new pocket- sized book The 24- Hour Wine Expert provides all the basics about the subject. In this essential guide Jancis shares tips gained from more than 40 years in the industry, strips away the snobbery and debunks the big myths. WINES were traditionally named after their place of origin, such as Chablis, Bordeaux or Burgundy. But as wines from regions outside Europe became popular in the 20th century the trend grew for naming them after the variety of grape, such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or merlot. It can be a little confusing as chardonnay is actually the main grape of a chablis while cabernet sauvignon is the main grape in many bordeaux wines. IN restaurants wines are marked up by anything from 100 to 300 per cent. Their selections are generally available to view online these days so it pays to do your research before you eat, especially if it’s an expensive restaurant with an intimidating or long wine list. Alternatively set your price and ask the sommelier for advice. Contrary to popular belief, seeking help from an expert is not a sign of weakness and there’s no shame in ordering cheaper wines. IF YOU are buying wine from a shop, avoid bottles that have been displayed in the window or in bright sunlight. This can rob a wine of its fruit and freshness. OPT for wines that have been bottled near where they were grown, as serious growers generally do the job themselves to ensure quality. You can check this by looking for the address on the label. For French wines look for the words: “Mis en bouteille au domaine/ chateau.” ROSÉ and inexpensive white wines are best consumed young so choose the most recent vintages. Only about 10 per cent of all wines actually improve with age and most wine, including red, is best consumed within a year. FOR a wine that’s lower in alcohol the general rule is that varieties from hot countries tend to be stronger. The alcohol of some German wines can be as low as eight per cent by volume. YOU don’t need a cellar for storage but wine is fragile and should be kept away from extreme heat and cold. Keeping it next to the boiler or in garden sheds is not recommended. Anything between 10C and 20C should be fi ne. WHEN faced with an array of varieties many of us tend to play safe and opt for familiar names such as sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. If you want to be more adventurous, try a riesling – they are often bursting with fl avour and usually improve in the bottle. If you like rioja, try garnacha for a change. YOU don’t need lots of different- shaped wine glasses cluttering up your cupboards. There is no logic to the claim that red wine should be consumed from bigger glasses. The one exception is sparkling wine – a tall, thin glass will preserve the bubbles for longer. A SCREW top, once associated with cheap wines, is no longer a sign of poor quality. The makers of some very good varieties now eschew natural corks, eliminating the risk of the wine being tainted. IDEALLY white wine should be chilled ( but not stored) in the fridge. However in an emergency it’s fi ne to pop a bottle in the freezer for up to an hour. If you’re using an ice bucket, immerse the cubes in cold water, so every part of the bottle is chilled evenly. Don’t serve white wine too cold as it will mask the fl avour. SOME people insist on opening a bottle of wine to allow it to “breathe”. For most wines it’s not really necessary but a few, such as young reds, will benefi t from exposure to air as this mimics the ageing process. The best way of doing this is simply pouring the wine from the bottle into another glass container. LEFT- OVER red wine should be kept in the fridge to slow down deterioration but only for a few days maximum. Bring it to room temperature before drinking. IF you are offered a wine to try when it’s delivered to your table in a restaurant, the most important single aspect is the smell. A tainted, or “corked”, wine will smell mouldy. THE words claret and bordeaux are two different ways of describing the same wine. AVOID overfi lling your wine glass. No more than half full is ideal, allowing the aromas to circulate if you swirl the glass. THE best- value wines when buying from a shop tend to be in the £ 8 to £ 20 bracket. Any less and the costs of bottling, taxes and other overheads mean poor quality is more likely. WHEN having a meal aim to fi nish your wine before starting a sweet dessert. Otherwise the sweetness of the food will make the wine taste horribly tart. Dessert wines and ports are sweet so they match the food. To order The 24- Hour Wine Expert by Jancis Robinson ( Penguin, £ 4.99), call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310 with your credit/ debit card. Alternatively, send a cheque or postal order made payable to The Express Bookshop to: Wine Expert Offer, PO Box 200, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4WJ. Or visit www. expressbookshop. com. UK delivery is free.