Wine myths exposed

Do you believe you know anything about wine?

According to a new survey for the grocery franchise Spar, which increased its wine sales by 20 per cent last year, seven out of 10 people wish they knew more about wine, and much of what they think they do know turns about to be wrong.

The research, conducted among 2,000 consumers, highlights some of the most widely held illusions:

• Fifty-four per cent assume that if the label compares a wine’s character to the likes of gooseberries or peaches, the wine is actually made from those fruits.

• Thirty-two per cent believe that Bordeaux, Champagne and Sherry are all the names of grape varieties.

• Forty-eight per cent believe wine is made by adding water to grapes.

• Forty-three per cent believe the older the vintage, the better the wine.

Some ‘wine myths’, as Spar call them, are rather less clear cut.

For example, 65 per cent of respondents thought Chablis was not made with Chardonnay grapes, which it is. But from this response we can infer that 35 per cent actually knew that Chablis is made from Chardonnay, which is rather impressive.

One more: 35 per cent believe wines with corks must be better than wines with screwcaps. This is a myth, says Spar wine buyer Xenia Irwin, because “some of the best vineyards in the world are bottling their wines with screwcaps”.

This is quite true. But it is also true that some of the worst producers in the world bottle their wines with screwcaps. (Vinoenology)