For instance...when I started drinking wine 30 years ago, I thought about it...gradually got used to it, settled in my preferences the way people do when they pick a political party.
For 20 years I've been drinking red wines most, and I like cabs over most reds plus a few big Tuscans, some syrahs. I am content to keep doing that. But I wonder what the British drink. So I asked.
First...their own wine is generally called Welsh Wine (British Wine refers to fermented grape juice) But the British are serious consumers of wine, most of it imported, and most of that from Australia now. Wikipedia says Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay is a big winner over there.
In 2010, these three wines were likely to be seen on British tabletops:
Finca Remendio Verdejo Rueda 2009
A pale Spanish white with hints of apples, white flowers
Cabrials Grenache Cinsult Rose 2009
A pale salmon Bordeaux with a nose of red summer fruits and citrus and a balance of acidity, fruit and body.
Finca La Linda Malbec 2008
An Argentine wine with deep ruby colour and scents of plums and red and black fruits.
How about France? By comparison with the French, American wine drinkers are pikers (though we put away twice as much beer per capita). They drink SIX times more wine ...most of it red table wine..most of it at dinner with the family....and beaujolais remains the most common table wine there. But wine consumption is declining, with about half of young French moving to other alcohols (Calvados, Cognac) and away from expensive premier brands, according to WINE SPECTATOR.
In those fields and regions where the world's greatest wines earned their names, Merlot is still the leading grape among red wines grown there, with several white varietals combining to explain the popularity of wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Macon Villages and Riesling.
PS
I would not normally include Ireland in a list about wine drinking, but my Irish friends will probably ask. So I will close by saying that it's wiser to ask for a pint, and if you insist on a fine wine, don't ask the pub master to recommend one. He's likely to look over his own shoulder before answering, Smithwick's.
An Argentine wine with deep ruby colour and scents of plums and red and black fruits.
How about France? By comparison with the French, American wine drinkers are pikers (though we put away twice as much beer per capita). They drink SIX times more wine ...most of it red table wine..most of it at dinner with the family....and beaujolais remains the most common table wine there. But wine consumption is declining, with about half of young French moving to other alcohols (Calvados, Cognac) and away from expensive premier brands, according to WINE SPECTATOR.
In those fields and regions where the world's greatest wines earned their names, Merlot is still the leading grape among red wines grown there, with several white varietals combining to explain the popularity of wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Macon Villages and Riesling.
PS
I would not normally include Ireland in a list about wine drinking, but my Irish friends will probably ask. So I will close by saying that it's wiser to ask for a pint, and if you insist on a fine wine, don't ask the pub master to recommend one. He's likely to look over his own shoulder before answering, Smithwick's.
No comments:
Post a Comment