The Datebook Datebook Autumn 18 Calendar of Events | Page 19

same wine with food then that
edge goes away and the result
is far more enjoyable. So don’t
judge a wine without food – you
are not getting the full picture.
Thirdly, good wine doesn’t
always taste at its best without
food. This is a big one. A few
years ago when I was a student
(for that read many, many
years ago) I worked in Oddbins
in Wimbledon Village. We used
to have tastings on Saturday
mornings. The fruit driven New
World wines mainly from
Australia and South America
always proved more popular
because they tasted like
alcoholic fruit juice. The more
structured, layered and
complex wines tasted tannic,
acidic and had an edge to
them when tasted on their
own. As soon as you have the Fourthly, preparation is
everything. Temperature,
glasses and decanting can
make all the difference. I
decant most wine whether
young or old. If it is an older
wine then i