Wine and water đź‘Ť
Recipe
1 part red wine
1 part cold tap water
Serve in a tumbler.
Before we can discuss this, we need to talk about snobbery.
Wine in particular has a strange mystique about it, a culture of gatekeeping beyond that of any other drink. At least in Britain, everyone who drinks wine has a vague feeling that to do so is the preserve of the upper class, and that a baffling series of rituals must be followed in order to preserve the absolute perfection of this nectar from heaven. Actions such as serving wine at the wrong temperature or with the wrong food are described as “heresy”, in a tone that seems to be just barely joking.
The reality is that wine is just a drink. The ancient Greeks famously watered their wine in a 1:3 ratio, considering it barbaric to drink it stronger. Today, it’s apparently common enough to add water in Italy and Spain, whether because it’s a hot day or just because you want to pace yourself. Note that it’s also standard practice to add water to whisky, and it demonstrably improves the flavour in that case. Some people claim the same of wine!
The truth is, in sensible Mediterranean countries, wine is a fact of life, and people are too busy drinking it and enjoying it to make up stupid rules to judge people with.
All this builds to today’s “cocktail”, wine and water. I’ve been drinking this for years (in fact I think this might be the first alcoholic drink I ever tasted, when I was about five) and I think it’s something everyone should try. A glass of wine is quite strong and can be harsh, especially if you want a casual relaxing drink, but diluting it mellows it out a lot, and still leaves a delightful fragrance and dry fruitiness.
You can have a couple of these with a meal, or sitting in the garden in the Sun, or any other time you like. And it couldn’t be easier to make.
Come and fight me.