By Megan Thomas
I borrowed a copy from our friends at Chanctonbury Wines in Steyning. Ironically, I probably don’t really need to read a book like this because I can just get Rob the tell me exactly what to drink (he has yet to miss the mark), but I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the process of a drink which arguably probs up a pillar of my personality.
I used to think I wasn’t discerning with wine. “I drink all wine”, I’d say, whilst specifically picking certain grapes/regions unconsciously (or, again, with Rob very mindfully choosing something for me). As it turns out, as Tom Surgey simply but succinctly explains, everything from the soil to the climate is playing a part.
I was a bit of a Goldilocks with this book; I ran hot and cold on whether I was getting too much information or too little, but my final decision is that it was *just right*. It is not a manual for wine-making, nor was it a list of which wines to buy in Tesco, which is rendered useless if they’re not stocking it that week. Instead, it is an accessible guide to how and why you might like something, and then advice on how to continuously achieve that without having to memorise every wine label in existence. I feel reasonably confident now that I could pick a bottle which I will probably like, though I have no doubt it’s going to take a lot of practice.
The book has also inspired me to taste more wine. It seems redundant – I drink a lot of wine – but I’ve often refused the option to taste something in a restaurant or shop (bougie like Chanctonbury Wines, not the supermarket, I think that’s illegal FYI) because I get anxious about etiquette. DO I HAVE TO BUY IT NOW!? DO I HAVE TO SAY IT IS NICE BECAUSE THEY THINK IT IS NICE EVEN IF I NOT THINK IT IS NICE?! But no more. If the service of expertise is there, why say no?
Here here. A toast to 2025: I will articulate what I like, admit what I don’t like, try and figure out what about it I do or don’t like, and then buy wine that aligns with that (within my price range hehe). Cheers!
P.S. All hail Tom for not shaming me for liking ice in my quaffable sunshine wine.
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