I’ve been drinking wine for a long time. I remember there used to be no end on certain nights. When you are in your 20s, it seems you could drink infinite amounts with no repercussions. I never recall having any sort of regret for the number of glasses I indulged whether it be at a dinner party or just out on the town with friends. As I crept into my 30s I noticed a bit more effect on the body. Let’s be honest, in the wrong dose, wine can leave you feeling miserable the next day.
As I am now in my late 30s, I have become much more selective in choosing the bottle, whatever the occasion. Maybe I’m just talking about age because I have a birthday coming up. Or maybe all of those people who complained to me about not being able to drink as much as they get older were onto something. I want to keep wine in my life. I love wine. Obviously. I’ve been immersed in the business for over 15 years. Solution number 1, go back to being 25. (No thank you.) Solution number 2. Half bottles. This is something I hadn’t really ever given that much thought. But I’m seeing them now as more of an opportunity. Sommeliers love 375s because they can sell a wider variety to their customers. You don’t have to commit to the entire bottle, whether at a restaurant or at home. It’s brilliant. You have the chance to experiment with more wines as a consumer.
Apparently there was an article just published in the World of Fine Wine with results of a blind tasting of 375ml vs. 750ml of the same wine and the half bottles showed no more signs of age than the 750mls! That’s remarkable. I think that’s why I'd always shied away from them. Turns out, sales of half bottles are on the rise. Maybe for economical purposes or maybe for the reasons I noted. Either way, as the wine world expands and the number of wine drinkers in this country continues to rise, many more wineries are producing half bottles, which gives the consumer more choice, from inexpensive whites to First Growths. That’s a beautiful thing, especially if that half bottle is Yquem!
