Five wine things I’m looking forward to in 2021

I wrote recently on my top 10 wine moments of 2020 – an exercise in focusing on the bright side of life in an otherwise challenging year. Here I share five wine-related things I’m looking forward to this year.

Wine tastings in real life is one of the things I’m most looking forward to in 2021, after a whole year of home-tastings.

1. A deep dive into a particular region

I loved delving deeply into particular wine regions as part of my research into my infographic wine guides to France. Learning about all the myriad appellations you never see in a supermarket and rarely in a general wine store inspired an even greater desire to experience some of these more niche wines. Personal favourite discoveries include Gamay from the Massif Central, Romorantin from Cour-Cheverny, and the light reds from the Savoie.

I’m looking forward to a similar experience in 2021. I just haven’t decided upon which region yet… 

2. Being surprised

I also love being surprised with wine. In the latter part of 2020, my amenable partner indulged me by facilitating some blind wine tastings, and I subscribed to a monthly mystery mixed case. The wines haven’t all been to my taste, but I’ve loved interrogating what ‘my taste’ means and discovering some new gems in the process. I plan to keep doing these things in 2021 and to keep being surprised.

3. Wine in a can

This seems to be one of the Next Big Things – but I’ve not tried any canned wine. My experience with wine stored in anything other than conventional glass bottles has been mostly negative (exceptions being cooperative wine from the vat in a farm store in Sicily, and the bag-in-box house wine at a couple of London wine bars). However, I’m looking forward to being pleasantly surprised (I hope!) and to try some canned wine soon.

Some of the vineyards at Westwell, a wine producer in Kent.

4. More English exploration

The past couple of months we’ve taken on the (admittedly eccentric) challenge at home of cooking a feast of dishes from the recipe book of London’s Bombay-themed ‘institution’ Dishoom and pairing it with a bottle of English wine. And not just English sparkling! There have been some great finds so far – not least of all how well English wine pairs with curries! – and I’m looking forward to some more.

5. Tasting IRL

But above all, I really can’t wait for some wine tastings in real life. In a bar, a winery, a restaurant, a home even (with more than two people). First and foremost for me, wine is about sharing, and I can’t wait to share the joy a bit more personally.