By now you’ve made your life-changing resolutions and are well on your way to becoming a better person. Just promise you haven’t sworn off alcohol. Rather than giving up, you can improve your relationship with wine. Here’s how!
Get out of your comfort zone and try a grape variety you’ve never heard of before. This means abandoning the Malbec or Pinot Grigio safety net. You may just discover a whole new infatuation. Portugal, Spain and Italy all provide infinite hunting grounds for off-the-beaten-track varieties.
Challenge your preconceived notions. Not all Chardonnays are made equal, for example. I poured one blind for someone who claims to hate Chardonnay and asked them to tell me what it was. “Well it’s not Chardonnay because I like it,” was the reply.
And what about Riesling? Sweet, right? Not necessarily. Riesling can be made sweet or dry. And what is wrong with a bit of sweetness, anyway? Absolutely nothing if it’s balanced by spine tingling acidity. And to those of you who profess not to like sweet wine, if you are drinking Apothic or wines of that ilk, there’s likely a healthy dose of sugar in your glass. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Take a wine course. They aren’t just for people who work in the booze industry. And, they’re fun. Name one other class where tasting wine is compulsory. Despite its slightly stuffy sounding name, The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) classes are excellent and offered at numerous locations, like the Art Institute of Vancouver and the Pacific institute of Culinary Arts. If you can’t commit to a weekly schedule, there are plenty of one-off wine sessions. This is where I give an unsubtle plug for my company, house wine.
Drink less more often. You don’t need to wait until the weekend to crack a bottle. The long days of abstinence during the week may result in a great thirst, causing over-compensation. A glass of wine on Tuesday bridges the gap and will leave you less desperate when Friday rolls around.
You may have packed in your diet, started swearing again and long forgotten about your pledge not to text when dining out. But hopefully you’ll still be drinking smarter (not harder) when 2015 comes to a close.
2012 St. Urbans-Hof, Old Vines Riesling • Mosel, Germany • $22.99, BC Liquor Stores
Intense lime blossom and apple sorbet. So refreshing and beautifully balanced you’ll barely notice the sweetness.
2012 La Chablisienne, La Pierrelée • Chablis AOC, France • $27.99, BC Liquor Stores
This doesn’t say Chardonnay anywhere on the label but indeed it is. No oaky flavours here, just fresh green apple, lemon and stony mineral notes.
2010 Zuccardi, Q Tempranillo • Mendoza, Argentina • $21.99, BC Liquor Stores
A gentle departure from the Malbec. Black plum, spice and intriguing hints of smoke and vanilla. You’ll thank me for introducing you to your new friend.
2008 Lagar de Robla, Premium Mencía • Viño de la Tierra de Castilla y León, Spain • $24.99, BC Liquor Stores
Featuring the seductive Mencía grape. Heather, licorice and forest berries mingle with chocolate, sweet oak and clove.
2008 Alpha Estate, Xinomavro • Amyndeon PDO, Greece • $28.99, BC Liquor Stores
So what if you’ve never heard of the Xinomavro grape. Just give it a try and enjoy the savoury notes of leather, tea and wild cherries.
