One of my life-time ambitions is to know about wines. I feel like, since I decided this, my wine knowledge has got considerably better – I know that I do like Cabernet Sauvignon, I don’t like Chardonnay. My knowledge also pertains to specific stores – the Sainsbury’s own brand Merlot is really perfectly nice.
However, there is a FINE line between knowledgeable and impressive, and darned right pretentious. For example, wine descriptions are always ridiculous – I don’t care what anyone says, I have never tasted an undertone of dark chocolate in a wine.
Still, I am a sucker for accompaniment recommendations - if there is a choice between a Merlot which goes with red tomato dishes or a Cab Sauv that goes with chicken, I make my decision on what I am having for dinner. Unless, as has happened once, it says – “Enjoy on an evening in with a DVD and friends.” Serious sacrilege.
