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RETIREMENT

NATION OF WINE BLUFFS

More than half of us have no idea about the tipple we are drinking

Wednesday June 18,2008

By Martyn Brown

BRITONS are a nation of wine bluffs when it comes to picking out a bottle of plonk.

More than half of us have no idea about the tipple we are drinking or how it is produced.

A poll of 1,000 people revealed half lack confidence when ordering wine, a quarter believe rosé is a mix of red and white wine and many are unable to distinguish between a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Research, by winemakers Hardys, also revealed that traditional wine terminology baffles consumers.

One in eight think a sommelier is a French perfumier and an incredible 10 per cent of people polled said it was a woman pig farmer.

Wine expert Chris Scott said: “Although we are a nation of wine lovers, we clearly lack an understanding of what makes a good wine.

“Getting to grips with the basics of wine is a lot easier than it seems and something that everyone can learn.”

Surprisingly, it has also emerged that there are three times as many wine experts in whisky-loving Scotland than the UK average.

The highest concentration of wine lovers is in London, where 70 per cent of those polled described themselves as “regular” wine drinkers. Despite this, eight per cent of them thought that sodium crystals were added to wine to make it sparkling.

Glaswegians are the least confident when it comes to choosing wine, with more than half saying they felt unsure about making the right selection.

The North is home to the most wine experts, even though 16 per cent of people in Leeds think that a sommelier is a French perfumier and 15 per cent of people in Newcastle think that sodium crystals are used.

Despite having the second highest number of regular wine drinkers – 69 per cent – one in five Bristolians believe rose is made by mixing red and white wine.

Cardiff has the lowest number of wine drinkers with 64 per cent preferring beer as their tipple.