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Is wine a posh drink?

(79 Posts)
Greatnan Tue 10-Apr-12 19:52:07

An interesting debate on The Wright Stuff today - why is wine considered a posh drink in England, when it is drunk by 'the masses' in France, Spain and Italy. One reason put forward was the difference in price caused by transport and tax costs. Any ideas?

Anagram Tue 10-Apr-12 19:55:18

Price may be a factor, but I think it's mainly down to the fact that we're traditionally a nation of beer drinkers. Wine only began being sold in pubs relatively recently (I'm guessing 60s/70s? Certainly up North, where I grew up!).

Ariadne Tue 10-Apr-12 19:56:10

Well, if wine is a posh drink than I am definitely posh...wine

Grannylin Tue 10-Apr-12 20:01:32

Well, I've just had 2 glasses so I'm extra posh wine wine !

Hattie64 Tue 10-Apr-12 20:02:08

I am really really posh, I gave up swigging my half of bitter years ago.

Mamie Tue 10-Apr-12 20:03:49

I think it depends on the wine!

bagitha Tue 10-Apr-12 20:06:08

Just what I was going to say, mamie! There's no way cheap plonk is posh!

harrigran Tue 10-Apr-12 20:29:53

I think I must be posh too because I only drink the very best wine and champagne has to be pink.

glassortwo Tue 10-Apr-12 20:37:50

I must be posh then, are the young girls who drink Lambrini posh too grin

Anagram Tue 10-Apr-12 20:47:54

No, they aren't, glassortwo - Lambrini isn't wine, it's a perry!

Riverwalk Tue 10-Apr-12 20:58:05

For whatever reason, in this country, wine is seen as posher than beer. If you go to a drinks reception or any social gathering the waiters don't circulate with trays of pints! grin

glassortwo Tue 10-Apr-12 21:00:58

anagram is it.. I only drink good wine so I wouldnt know grin

Anagram Tue 10-Apr-12 21:15:41

I don't - that's how I do know! grin

Anne58 Tue 10-Apr-12 21:19:03

Harrigran I love champagne, but generally the pink variety is considered only suitable as gifts for girls 18th or 21st birthdays!

harrigran Tue 10-Apr-12 21:26:55

I find champagne to be a little acidic for my digestion but for some reason the pink does not upset me, pricey though grin

johanna Tue 10-Apr-12 21:36:43

Confused now.
The English were/are always the greatest connoisseurs of wine.Especially French wine and of course Port.
I can think off hand of two famous Chateaux that were English owned.
There is the world famous Chateau Talbot, then owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury, George Talbot.
I call it TalBOT, not TalBOW as the snobs do.( They are wrong )
Then there is Lynch Bages, Irish , which the snobs call LANGE Bages. Which it is not.
Have not seen the "masses " on the continent for a while, but in the past they drank a small beer or water, not wine.
It may be that they would rather have no wine, unless it was a good one.
And, to be fair the wines from the Continent are either undrinkable or unaffordable!
Cheers.

johanna Tue 10-Apr-12 21:45:32

harrigran
Some suggestions for you re. acidity:
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs , delicious ( expensive though )
Prosecco, not the Spumanti but the Frizzanti
Cava

Or.......a nice swizzle stick????...wink

Greatnan Tue 10-Apr-12 21:48:07

Your post did make me laugh,Johanna. Have you ever lived in France? I can assure you that everyone I know here drinks wine and I don't think they would be very pleased with your assertion that the British are more knowledgeable about wines than them. Were you just winding us up?

I am no wine buff, in spite of my years of having nothing but the best bought for me by my employer. I now drink the cheapest sparkling wine here, Polremy, which is about €2 a bottle, and I use it with fresh orange to make a Buck's Fizz. If I want to treat myself, I have a Chablis. At the moment, I am drinking from a 5 litre box of Cote de Provence rose which cost me about €15. Of course, wine is much cheaper here.

There is an awful lot of snobbery about wine - in a blind tasting, so called experts decided Tesco champagne was better than several costing four times as much.

petallus Tue 10-Apr-12 22:00:50

Greatnan I wish I'd had an employer like yours smile

johanna Tue 10-Apr-12 22:02:21

greatnan
Absolutely not!

When I came here 40 years ago I was honestly stunned at the knowledge of the people regarding wine, port, and champagne. In fact the expertise on Champagne was incredible. No I am not winding you up.

Anagram Tue 10-Apr-12 22:10:57

I'm wondering what people you were mixing with 40 years ago, johnanna. I'm pretty sure not many ordinary folk had much knowledge of such drinks - perhaps the upper class did though.

Annobel Tue 10-Apr-12 22:19:41

Forty years ago the only wine we could afford was blended plonk called hirondelle that came in litre bottles. Despite the name, I think it was Austrian. It seemed like the height of sophistication at the time - or was that Blue Nun?wink

Ariadne Tue 10-Apr-12 22:23:42

OMG, Blue NUn! And my friends and I thought that Neirsteiner was the height of sophistication.

There are some rather nice Reislings around still, but not usually dry enough for me.

johanna Tue 10-Apr-12 22:28:29

Anagram
Me,? mixing with the upper class?
grin grin grin

Anagram Tue 10-Apr-12 22:36:33

Well, who then? Not the run of the mill bloke down the local pub, surely? grin

Seriously, I am interested, because as has been said here, 40 years ago most of us wouldn't know good wine from bad, and couldn't afford the former anyway!