Photo: depositphotos.com
As the 1980s band, UB40, once sang, ‘red, red wine you make me feel so grand, I feel a million dollars when you’re just in my hand’.
That song aired way before my time, obviously, but the meaning behind the lyrics, written by Neil Diamond, is timeless.
Don’t just take UB40’s word for red wine’s mood-lifting credentials, though, or mine for that matter, take science’s.
Recently, the William James Centre for Research conducted a study in Lisbon that included 102 participants and a wine bar.
After drinking two glasses of a specific Portuguese wine, participants were asked to return to the bar and complete a questionnaire.
They were not allowed to use their phones or other distracting technology, but they were allowed to have small snacks.
They all received the same glasses of wine, which was described as “silky and full-bodied,” contained 14% alcohol, and was served at 18 degrees C.
Only vintage jazz music was playing in the background, giving the bar a cosy atmosphere as customers conversed quietly.
A moderate amount of red wine, sipped in a pleasant setting, was found to stimulate creative thinking, blissful feelings, an increase in arousal, a decrease in awareness of time, a strengthened sense of unity and connection with others, spiritual or mystical feelings, and a decrease in self-consciousness.
Aside from wanting to know what the questions were, I immediately placed an order for anything they had.
1. CVNE Maruxa Mencia, Spain
I probably sound like Netflix’s recommendation algorithm, but if you like them young and fruity, you’ll love this wine. The company behind this specialises in Rioja, so this is an exciting departure. It’s made over in Galicia, see, right above Portugal, from a grape to watch called Mencia. It behaves like a lightly earthier version of Pinot Noir, and you know what they say about Pinot Noir being an aphrodisiac…
By it for £12.99 (£10.99 mix six) from Majestic
2. Sardine Submarine Red, Portugal
Portugal produces some of the best-value wines in Europe. The only downside is the names of their indigenous grapes, which sound like you’re having a funny turn when you try to pronounce them. Trincadeira, Tinta Miuda and Castelao headline the blend here to bring smooth flavours of raspberry ripple. If you can say any of them, you probably deserve a bottle.
By it for £7 (save £2) from Ocado.com
3. Dark Corner Durif Shiraz, Australia
I love the story of how the name of this wine came to be. David Joeky, a rising-star winemaker, didn’t want anyone to taste the blend until he was absolutely sure it was ready. Once the rest of the crew had left, he would disappear to the darkest corner of the winery to tinker on this project. Thanks heavens he did, otherwise we wouldn’t have had this opulent mulberry sipper on our lips.
By it for £11.99 from Laithwaites
