A semi-dry January?

Save money, get in shape and delight your palette in the first month of 2025 with top tips from our new, resident wine expert David Carne

Like many people, you may have decided that after indulging and possibly overspending during Christmas and New Year, January is the time to cut back on wine. You may be reasoning that reducing your intake of fermented grapes will lead to both a healthier body and wallet. And like many, your New Year’s resolutions may include participating in dry January.

Research suggests that 88 per cent of New Year’s resolutions fail within the first two weeks of January. So, I’d like to present an alternative which might put you in the 12 per cent of people who actually make a resolution and stick to it. Let’s call it, ‘semi-dry January’ (pun intended!). My proposition is that instead of cutting out wine altogether, buy better wine, but less of it.

Let me clarify. What I am suggesting is instead of buying two bottles of your usual wine, buy one that costs a bit more. So, two-times the quality for one-and-a-half times the price!

Would it surprise you to know that the £10 of wine in your weekly shop only has around £2 worth of wine in it? Factoring in the bottle, cork, label, shipping, duty, the supermarket’s profit margin and VAT in January 2025 that is roughly what the wine in your bottle will have cost to produce. But in a £15 bottle of wine, the wine it worth about £4.54 – a 216 per cent increase in value. And in a £20 wine, a 300 per cent increase in value. Like chocolate, typically the better the quality the longer it will take to drink and the less you need. 

Drinking at the right temperature

However, some people often feel that they cannot really taste the quality difference. Often this is because it not at the right temperature. Generally, white wines tend to be served too cold and may need a little time to warm if they have been chilling in the fridge prior to serving. With red wines we tend assume ‘room temperature’ is best, but actually somewhere between 12 and 18 degrees is optimal, with fuller bodied wines being towards the higher end. 

Decanting the wine

Another reason, especially with red wines, is that we don’t allow the wine to ‘breathe’. Aerating the wine helps to release gasses built up in the bottle and to enhance the fruit flavours and soften the tannins. High quality wine tends to need a bit longer to allow this to happen. This is one the reasons that we decant wine.

This simply involves transferring the wine out of the bottle where there is little exposure to oxygen into a vessel with more space for air to come into contact with the wine. You don’t need an expensive decanter; you can use a glass jug and achieve pretty much the same effect. Thirty to 60 minutes decanting can make a world of difference.

If you get the temperature right and decant your red wines, you should taste the improvement in quality. Hopefully then, your wallet, waistline, liver and palette are all going to thank you for paying a little bit more but buying less when it comes to wine.

So, whether you decide on a dry, semi-dry or exuberant approach to wine in January, please drink responsibly and remember ultimately whatever the wine costs, the best wine is the one you enjoy drinking! If you do decide to drink, you may want to consider the wines below…

DAVID’S NEW YEAR TOP PICKS TO TRY

Something sparkling:

Graham Beck Rose Brut, £17 Waitrose

Expect red fruits, such as cherry, raspberry and other red berries, with a creamy and citrusy mouth feel.

Something Fresh and Fruity:

Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc, £18.99 Loki

A step up from a generic New Zealand Sauvignon, more complex, with lime, gooseberry, grassy and floral notes.

Something Big and Bold:

Tenuta Ulisse Masseri Primitivo 2022, from https://thewinerackni.co.uk/

An elegant Primitivo from Abruzzo with wild berry flavours, sour cherry, plum, blackberry, dark chocolate and smooth tannins.

Something Classic:

Clos Saint Vincent Saint Emilion Grand Cru, £20 Sainsburys

Expect dark fruit notes of blackberry, black plum, cherry, some tobacco, vanilla and some subtle earthy, leathery and smoky flavours.

Something British:

Alwick Estate Barrel Fermented Pinot Noir 2022, £22 from https://aldwickwine.com/

Not your typical light bodied pinot noir, this one is more medium bodied, with cherry and red fruit characteristics, earthy flavours and some vanilla from the barrels, and some subtle tannins.

Something Completely Different:

Navajas Rioja Crianza Blanco 2018, £13.29 from https://haywines.co.uk

Expect orchard fruits such as apple and pear as well as a good body and woody, nutty notes from oak ageing.

David Carne is a Wines and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) qualified wine expert and author of the alottowineabout.com website where you can find more articles on wine.