Mancunians getting home from work are more likely to pop their (wine) cork 15 minutes later than national average.
While the rest of the nation tend to decant their first red, white or rosé of the evening at 7:33pm, Manchester wine aficionados are more likely to wait until 7:48pm.
The International Wine Challenge’s survey into vino habits also showed that only 6% of respondents in the North West gave into a tipple before 6pm, compared with 17% in Wales and 15% in London.
Are Manchester’s wine lovers spending an extra quarter of an hour fiercely debating over which bottle to choose? Or maybe giving their dry whites and fruity reds an additional 15 minutes to mature is the motive behind the delayed drinking?
We asked Manchester’s Oenophiles (wine lovers – don’t worry, we had to Google it too) what they thought.
Self-professed wine fanatic and member of ‘at least ten’ wine clubs, Humphrey Burman, 55, of Didsbury, gave an insight into prepping for that first glass.
“I usually like to wait ‘til around 8ish,” Mr Burman said between sips of Portuguese Terra D’alter Viognier: “but I take around half an hour preparing myself beforehand.
“I like to get the fire on and get some olives or cheeses ready. Most importantly I make sure I have a good book, or even better friends there to enjoy that initial mouthful with me.
“People say drinking wine in itself is an art, to me setting the right ambience to complement your tipple is just as essential.”
Mother of two, Susan Fletcher, 34, of Stockport, said her first glass also came at around 8pm.
“Once I’ve got the train back from work, picked up the kids, made their tea and done a few jobs around the house I can start to think about opening up some wine.
“I think people in Manchester prefer to get everything out of the way so they can properly relax and enjoy it without anything hanging over them.”
Sophia Luckett, 28, who works at the city centre’s Bakerie Wine Store, said the extra time spent before drinking was because Mancunians felt like they had to ‘really deserve that first glass.’
When asked if 7:48pm was in line with her personal habits she said: “Well I work in a wine bar, so for me it’s more like 12pm.”
The survey also found that across the nation men were most likely to crack open a bottle first, with almost twice as many men (14%) as women (8%) having their first sip before 6pm.
Age also proved to be a vital deciding factor in deciding when to break the seal. Over 65s reported the earliest time for wine o’clock at 7:12pm, and were three times more likely to indulge in a glass before 4pm.
Picture courtesy of Fabio Ingrosso, with thanks.
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