The adventurous among us will be familiar with Austrian wines, yes? What about Peruvian wine? Or maybe Japanese? No, Mexican? Moldovan? Algerian..?
If your answer to any of the above was “no”, I have a further question: Why not?
There are a number of arguments in support of giving malt whisky a go. First, is ‘national pride’ (if that’s your thing). Unlike modern kilts, tartanry, pipes and other nonsense introduced to Scotland in the Victorian times, whisky is something that is truly, and historically Scottish. Sure, we make it a little more lavishly than the home-stilled moonshine of old, but the principles, methods and ingredients are all the same.
Second, it is a big industry for us, and great for both local and national economies – we should do what we can to support it!
It has become a huge part of our culinary culture in Scotland, where the range and availability of top Asian, African, South American and Middle Eastern eateries and food stores has become the stuff of legend.
Sadly, the pursuit of spice often presents a spot of turmoil for the wine lover, as a properly hot dish can play havoc with your wine. This is why, when asked what wine might match a really hot meal, I like to joke: “beer”.
If you are known for enjoying a nice glass of wine, it is quite likely that someone will have bought you a decent bottle for your Christmas. Often, it can be worth thinking about giving these bottles some time before you open them, as it can markedly improve the wine. The hard part is knowing how much time, and accepting that it will most likely be measurable in years.
