This is the hardest wine column of the year to write – and,
probably, the least read, which is a cruel combination. Here I am, struggling
to rekindle my interest in all things wine, and you are probably off the booze
altogether, at least in theory. This is a lean time in the wine writer’s year;
the vinous “hungry gap”.
Not to be put off, I’ll seek to entertain you on the subject
of wine, so grab a cup or glass of something and settle in. I’m not really a
believer in New Year’s resolutions, which are destined to become a stick to
beat yourself with, when the almost inevitable failure comes – usually before
January is out.
However, here’s a little (wish)list of things I’d like to
achieve this year – on the wine front that is. I won’t bore you with my list of
house maintenance ambitions.
2016 (wine related) sort-of
resolutions
1. Knuckle down to Champagne study. Less indulgent
than it sounds, I promise.
2. Continue the noble, and almost certainly doomed,
struggle to get UK drinkers to love Riesling.
3. Drink more Riesling. Yes, even I feel like I’m
letting the side down and could do better.
4. Visit at least one new wine region. Yes, it’s a
tough job, but….
5. Taste a new (to me) grape variety every month.
You wouldn’t believe how many varieties there are – Jancis Robinson et al’s
Wine Grapes encyclopaedia lists 1,368 of them.
And what of the elephant in the room? Yes, I must try to
achieve all this while abiding by the new alcohol consumption guidelines of no
more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over 3 or 4 days.
Which brings me to my wine prediction for the year – we are
going to be seeing the development of many more, lighter alcohol and even
alcohol-free wines to feed our need to glug a glass of wine without stacking up
the units.
Wishing you a happy, and moderate, 2016.
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