Tis’ the season to be merry… but is the wine you’re sipping there actually nice to drink? Which? Conversation community member Alfa explores why some red wines are just palatable, but not pleasurable.
Is it just me or does all reasonably priced red wine seem to taste the same these days, just about drinkable but not enjoyable.
Maybe I’m getting older and my taste has changed, but too often I find red wine unpleasantly sharp, grabbing the back of my throat and hard to swallow…and I know I’m not alone.
A fine whine
We seem to have a ritual:
Open the bottle… taste…let it breathe… taste again and then give bottle a good shake, let it breathe again… taste…open another bottle and repeat.
Supermarket shelves are filled with lots of brands and styles that we keep trying, but many of them end up being used for cooking or down the sink.
And if they don’t smell good they go back to the supermarket for a refund. But you can’t ask for a refund just because they’re not to your taste. I’m sure people too often put up with a bottle that is barely palatable instead of taking it back, but where is the line of wine that’s not fit for purpose?
It’s not that long ago that I realised a lot of wine was not bottled in the country of origin, but shipped here and different brands all bottled at the same place. Many years ago, I worked in a food factory where the same product was packed for several different brands. They wouldn’t do that with wine would they? But it sure does taste like it to me.
Finding a favourite
My favourite used to be a Spanish red wine, but when the vintage changed so did the wine and we ended up with six cases of wine that went down the sink. I wonder if it has anything to do with corks being replaced by metal screw tops?
Recently I had a lovely wine called ‘Fat Bastard Pinot Noir’ in a restaurant but it is only available mail order, and due to the bad experience with my old Spanish favourite I‘m now reluctant to order wine by the case.
These days I find that Mcguigan wines seem more drinkable than most, although their Shiraz and Merlot taste the same to me. But I would like better.
Where’s the nice everyday (well not quite every day) drinkable red wine or even that something special to enjoy at Christmas time?
So, does anyone have a suggestion for a smooth, flavoursome red wine to go with Christmas dinner?
This is a guest post by Alfa, a regular community member on Which? Conversation. All opinions are Alfa’s own, not necessarily those of Which? We chose Alfa’s idea from the ‘Your ideas’ section on the website, make sure you share your ideas too.
Loading ...
