This article has been prompted by a couple of comments I've read on social media about Dry January. Dry months have become a massive thing over the last few years as we all get swayed by "experts" telling us that we ought to drink less, eat less, exercise more, practise more mindfulness, etc. All noble intentions but my view is that balance in your life is more important than going full tilt at something for a month and then reverting back to type. And a couple of people mentioned a very good idea. Instead of Dry January, why not Try January, where you try new things - whether that be new wines, hobbies, sports, relaxation methods, whatever.
I'm going to go one step further and suggest you use the whole of 2022 to try new things and, given you're reading this because you're on a wine website, I'll just focus on the wine here. So here's our insider tips to get the very best out of your drinking experiences this year.
1 - Don't be afraid to pay a bit more per bottle - on an £8 bottle of wine, £3.56 is duty and VAT (£2.23 duty, £1.33 VAT). So, almost half the value of your bottle is government taxes. Your £4.44 (56%) left includes the retailer's margin, then you've also got the cost of shipping, marketing and some agent handling fees. Which doesn't leave a lot left for the winemaker who has to buy the land, plant vines, grow the grapes, pick them, make wine, pay staff, then bottle, label and package it. Go up to £12 a bottle and take off the £4.23 taxes, you're left with £7.77, which is 65% for the other costs. Stretch a bit more to £18 a bottle and this goes up to 71%. Simply, because duty is fixed per 75cl bottle of still wine, the more you pay, the more that goes to producing a quality wine.
One to try - Casa Ferreirinha Papa Figos - £12.50 - see here
2 - Accept that sustainable, organic or biodynamics costs more to produce and embrace it - most of us want the world to be a better place, I think it's fair to say. Part of making the world a better place means thinking about every decision you make. Shall I walk into town or take the car? Do I really need to leave all my lights on? Is buying 5 pairs of jeans and sending 4 pairs back really a good thing to do, even though I can? Why do I leave the tap running when I'm brushing my teeth? Do I buy the cheap, mass produced product or pay a bit more for something local, artisan produced, sustainable? Sustainable, organic & biodynamic wines are better for the environment but they do cost more to produce. And, in our view, they taste better given they are more pure and natural. Okay, it might cost you a little bit more per bottle but you'll get a better drinking experience and you'll get a little bit of satisfaction that you're helping the world a tiny bit.
One to try - Cesar Marquez La Salvacion - £22 - see here
3 - Try weird grape varieties - granted, you could play it safe and stick to what you know and you'll probably be very happy. I love drinking good New World Pinot Noir, for example, and am always contented when I open a bottle. However, there are so many exciting winemakers playing around with weird indigenous varieties, planting vineyards in marginal regions or producing wine with as little intervention as possible, that you'll be denying yourself the opportunity to discover wines that are truly individual and spectacular. And if you're not sure, just ask your independent merchant - they are there to help and advise. Tell them you like Sauvignon Blanc and they'll suggest something that should tick the same boxes.
One to try - BelColle Verduna Pelaverga - £21.00 - see here
4 - Try natural wines - now this one's a bit controversial from me but you'll have to make your own mind up. As a merchant, I am still reluctant to stock loads of natural wines firstly on the basis that customers often aren't sure what they're buying - and a bit of fizz in a still wine used to be seen as faulty winemaking. And, secondly, that the next bottle rarely tastes the same as the first one. So, you might drink a natural wine in a restaurant and it be amazing, order yourself a few from a merchant and then be underwhelmed by those three. "But it's natural" they will cry, but you still need bottles to be consistent with each other or else it becomes a lottery to drink and unfeasible to stock. We are therefore careful which ones we list, preferring minimal intervention winemaker instead.
One to try - Georges Descombes Morgon - £19.50 - see here
5 - Drink less but drink better - I've been banging on about this for ages. We generally try to have 3 or 4 dry nights each week - early in the week as things are going on, sports, clubs etc - then tuck into some decent wine at the weekend. Gone are the days when we were students and it's about finding the strongest drink you can buy for the smallest amount possible (Bulgarian Cabernet I recall being a staple). Now we'd rather drink less bottles but increase the quality, more satisfying from every aspect.
One to try - Elian da Ros Coucou Blanc - £30.00 - see here
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