So, how are those New Year’s resolutions going?Feeling fit, healthy, thin and erudite yet?Well done if you are, if not, never mind there’s always next year, or the next, and the next…
The above list of virtues may give you some clues to my list of suspects as far as resolutions go but this year I also thought of some vinous resolutions, if you will. Much more fun than the typical monastic variety, and what’s more, much more likely to become resolved.
- Drink more. New Zealanders drink around 19 litres each per annum, which really is quite astoundingly low. Compare this to France and Italy at 60-odd litres or even Argentina at 42 litres - and who knows what great parties are going on at Luxembourg with 64 litres per annum. This means we are only drinking one bottle of wine every two weeks. No wonder we all dress in black and are obsessed with house prices and rugby games. Now please don’t worry, I am not suggesting that you go out and make 19 litres a weekly figure instead, but do resolve to make wine a regular part of your week. It would be excellent if wine for New Zealanders could become not just a special occasion drink, or worse, one where it’s half a cask at once and then none again for six months; but instead we could all discover the soothing joys of a glass or two most nights a week. With food, of course. Which leads to the next resolution…
- Think European. Not just in terms of the wines you drink (although that’s another quite good resolution) but in how you drink the wine. Those European wine consumption figures above are a result of a culture that has evolved with food and wine intertwined. Local wines match the local foods and a Frenchman or an Italian would almost never have wine without food - that’s what aperitifs and digetifs are for. This is not a bad habit to form, and there are some wonderful food and wine matches to explore. At its most basic level though, it is how wine is meant to be consumed and makes Resolution Number 1 an easier, happy everyday occurrence.
- Visit a winery. You don’t have to be a wine anorak or expert to enjoy a visit to a winery. As well as getting to know the birthplace of your favourite wine, you are also frequently able to discover interesting architecture (Craggy Range, Peregrine Estate, Kemblefield Estate to name but a few), fantastic food (too long a list to mention), passionate people and if nothing else a breath of fresh vineyard air and a change of scenery. There are many wineries that go out of their way to welcome the wine public and you will often get to try ‘cellar door only’ wines – limited release or experimental wines. By and large, winemaking people are a friendly bunch who love to share their enthusiasm and knowledge.
- Go to a wine tasting. You may be able to kill two birds with one stone and do this on your winery visit, but there are also many local wine stores and social clubs who hold wine tastings. These can range enormously in level of formality and the range of wines tasted, and are often hosted by a winemaker or industry person. Be brave, go along with friend and an open mind and have some fun tasting new wines. This is a great way to learn about new varieties and labels and is an excellent way to try all sorts of wine without having to purchase an entire bottle. You may also get to taste rare and expensive wines at a fraction of the usual cost.
- Make friends with a good wine store. There’s nothing wrong with buying all your wine from the supermarket, and indeed there is an astonishing range of bargains to be had at many a local supermarket these days. But if you really want to experience all that the wine world has to offer (and it’s a weird and wonderful world out there) then it pays to visit the nearest speciality wine store. If they are worth their salt, they will offer friendly unbiased assistance and be able to help you with everything from trying a new wine/variety/country, to seeking out a wine for a special dinner, to recommending wineries to visit for Resolution Number 3.
I have actually managed to stick to all of these vinous resolutions with much gusto and success for a number of years now (hence the reason I am always trying to be thinner, etc with my other resolutions) so if you have lost interest on your own New Year’s resolutions already or find them too tragically tedious to make, then feel free to try a few of the above. I’ll bet you find them easier to achieve than endless carrot sticks and Stephen Hawking.
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