Ask an Expert: the Bluffer’s Guide to Looking Like a Wine Buff
For many people, wine is a scary thing. Not necessarily drinking it, but discussing it, asking for it in a restaurant, taking a bottle to a party. So in honour of English Wine Week (28 May-5 June 2016) Travelzoo sat down with Virgin Wines buyer Dave Roberts (that's him in the picture below) in the hope of dispelling some of the nervousness around one of Britain’s favourite tipples. We also found out why British wine is having a moment and got some some helpful tips and tricks for buying and drinking wine.
What is your role at Virgin Wines and what is the most interesting thing you do?
I'm part of the buying team, so my job is to buy the wines that go onto our "virtual shelves", but my role is more than just saying "I like it". We get involved at an early stage to make sure the blend is right.
It seems like the perception of English wine has finally changed. Is it fair to say it's having a bit of a moment?
Yes, it's been driven massively by the sparkling wine producers, like Ridgeview and Henners who we work with. There's Chapel Down, Hambledon, Nyetimber… there's lots of production at the moment, mainly around the South Downs area. Global warming has also played its part - the South Downs is similar to the Champagne region in terms of the climate and the amount of hours of sunshine, which enables the grapes to become riper.
What do you prefer - English sparkling wine or champagne?
I don't have a preference actually! I think some of the stuff we're producing here is fantastic, but that's not to take anything away from champagne - that's the birthplace of traditional sparkling wine.
What about still English wines?
We don't have a huge history of trading to know what style of English wine we might be able to get to work. We've been making wine here for a long time, but I think as the vines get older and we understand more what to plant and where, we'll see more progress.
Are there any hard-and-fast rules to stick to when drinking wine?
There are some simple rules to follow, but there are always exceptions. For example, why shouldn't you drink rosé in winter? There are rosés out there that are amazing, year-round wines to drink. If you're drinking something that's big like a shiraz, then you are going to want some food to go with it - but not fish. There aren't 100% set rules to go with wine.
Should you always let wine breathe?
All red wine will benefit from some time exposed to air, whatever you've spent on it.
Is it enough just to open the bottle?
No. A good trick is to pour the bottle into any jug and then pour it back into the bottle. You'll have managed to get lots of oxygen into the wine in a short period of time.
Does it matter what type of wine glass you drink from?
There are some expensive glasses out there that can make a difference but they're stupidly expensive and you're likely just to smash them anyway, so I don't recommend them. You want sparkling wine out of a flute, as the narrow shape keeps the bubbles. I tend to use the same glasses for red and white wine.
What do you think of the beaker trend in restaurants?
I don't mind them! But you'd only want something easy and drinkable in there, nothing too fancy. Wine should be about having a glass with your friends and family, and sharing it. You can do that at any level.
Why in a restaurant are you asked to try the wine?
It's a tradition, and it's a good tradition. It's to see if it's faulty, but there are varying degrees of faultiness. You'd be able to tell whatever your level of knowledge if a wine is corked though - it lacks the smell of fruit, and smells like wet cardboard. On taste, you'll get a slightly mouldy, biscuity character, which is unpleasant.
So how does a wine become corked?
It's from bacteria that lives in the cork, but whole wineries can get cork taint, even white wines under screw cap. Screw caps can be corked because of hygiene at the winery - it's less likely, but it's possible.
What are your thoughts on the "half-price" offers in supermarkets? Complete farce or good deal?
A mixture of both. The best ones will be when they have an overstock on something. Sometimes they are genuinely really good deals!
How can you spot a good quality wine in a supermarket for under £10?
It's just practice. Don't plump for the wine you think you like, or the wine on offer every time. Don't pigeonhole yourself; try more, try different regions. You don't have to increase your budget, just look for alternative varieties or sources.
What are "legs" and what do they tell you?
They're the tears that run down the side of your glass when you swirl the drink inside it, but you can't discern any quality from them. It shows you two things, one: alcohol. The higher the alcohol the more obvious the legs. Two: sugar. If they run slowly down the glass the wine is likely to have more sugar.