A word to the wise

Sales clearly show we Britons prefer quaffing wine that can be consumed on its own without the need for food

There are plenty of food and drink articles that espouse about glorious recipes or critique of establishments. I however am more interested in our perception of food and drink and try to offer a deeper knowledge base for the reader and hopefully to find out about new and interesting facts.

This week we saw an article in the Daily Mail that states 'We Brits prefer £5 bottle of plonk over a £20 bottle'. Very interesting. Does this mean we simply don't have the sophisticated palate required to enjoy the subtle nuances of posh wine? Is expensive wine just for the rich and clearly a touch of 'The Emperors New Clothes'?

The test was two bottles of Chardonnay. The cheap one was an Australian Chardonnay whilst the expensive one was a French 1er Cru white Burgundy. Both were Chardonnay so it should have been a fair test.

Sales clearly show we Britons prefer quaffing wine that can be consumed on its own without the need for food. This is because Southern hemisphere wine generally has higher alcohol, sugar levels making them easy going.

French wines in particular, like white Burgundians, have a much higher level of acidity due to the cooler climate. Where the French wine excels is when you pair it with food. The acidity will compliment and cut through oils and fats in the food creating a harmonious marriage.

Our taste buds are engineered to prefer a sweet taste so naturally the Australian one would be more user friendly. But we may as well be comparing oranges with lemons.
Yes warmer climate wines are very good and also work well with food but to compare two grapes from different continents with completely different environmental conditions is very misleading.

So don't feel like you are wasting your money spending more on wine. Each has its own place. If you want to offer a simplistic wine to sit and drink with choose the £5 Oz. However, if you are looking for something to compliment your culinary masterpiece then the £20 French wine will blow you away.

My recommendation, try something in between. You will benefit from a Southern hemisphere or hotter country wine when sipping but when you are dining you will probably benefit from something with a bit more complexity and some acidity.

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com