I work in wine – here’s the trick I use to drink less

As an OECD report reveals that British women are the world’s biggest binge-drinkers, wine expert Rosamund Hall says we need to be more reverent of the booze we buy – and reveals the practical tip that has helped her control her own consumption

Our culture of drinking is entirely separate from our culture of food – and therein lies one of the problems. We drink to get drunk (Getty)

It all started, aged 14, with a small bottle of Babycham. A few sips of that and I vowed I would be teetotal for the rest of my life. Yet despite my youthful puritanical protestations, I am now a wine professional.

I’ve been reflecting on my own journey with alcohol in light of the recent OECD report revealing that British women are the world’s biggest binge drinkers. At least 26 per cent of women in the UK admitted to binge drinking (British men were higher at 45 per cent but that got glossed over, and perhaps is worth a whole other article on sexism and alcohol).

So, what is binge drinking? Well, it’s classed as drinking six or more units at one time – for context, a medium glass of 13 per cent wine (175ml) contains 2.3 units of alcohol. Three glasses would tip you over the edge. Plus, we shouldn’t forget that the 26 per cent were just the ones who admitted to it – the real figure may be much higher.

I’m in my early forties, now – and, mostly because of my profession, I have what I describe as a great sense of reverence for booze. I want a long and healthy life alongside a fulfilling career that sees me long beyond the conventional “retirement” age, and I’ve seen many of my industry colleagues fall foul of the delicious nectar that is alcohol.

I’m a millennial (just) and we drank from our relatively early teens – enjoying Archers and lemonade at the local pub (though I use the word “enjoy” loosely). My school hosted an annual “prom” with a bar organised by the sports department. School trips to France included evening visits to bars where the legal drinking age at that time was 16 for supervised drinking of fermented products (beer, wine and cider) – our teachers were always happy to escort us.

We weren’t like the Gen Z’ers who now extol the virtue of clean living and are trying to prevent ageing from the age of 12. My early twenties were awash with “three for a tenner” on Arniston Bay (vile stuff); bottles of Black Tower riesling if my flatmates and I were feeling fancy (actually very passable).

Booze was ingrained in our culture, jobs revolved around Thursday night drinks. Friday night catch-ups with friends always started at the pub and ended with trying to find a great little late-night drinking den (I knew them all in London). “Lo and No” (alcohol) definitely didn’t appear on the menu.

In the haze, I managed to find myself undertaking a career change in my late twenties to pursue my passion for wine. Wine, in all its glory, is one of the most beguiling and eternally delicious things you can enjoy.

Except... the wine I love is not about buying two glasses and getting the rest of the bottle for free (I tried that a few times, it was never a good idea). Yet this is where I have an issue with statistics around binge drinking: for it never takes context into account. Necking three glasses of cheap, mass-produced plonk where you have no idea of the full extent of the “ingredients” used in its production is not the same as sitting down, enjoying a long meal and drinking three glasses of wine made by a small producer over a prolonged period of time.

Our culture of drinking is entirely separate from our culture of food – and therein lies one of the problems. We drink to get drunk.

Spain consumes a similar amount of booze, on average, to the UK (around 10 litres per capita), however, their figures for binge drinking are so low that they barely feature on the bar chart. Why is this? To me, it’s obvious: they have a long history of wine production across the country – and it is deeply ingrained in their DNA that booze is always consumed with food, tapas or pintxos. We don’t.

While large-scale policies around MUP (minimum unit pricing) target cheap alcohol consumed by heavy drinkers, it has no impact on the vast majority of consumers.

I have long extolled the mantra of drink less and drink better to my customers, friends – and anyone who will listen! Instead of bulking up on the cheap stuff, buy one bottle of something better and really savour it. Make the meal an occasion by elevating it with a really nice bottle. I’m not talking about breaking the bank – I guarantee the overall pleasure will be greater and you’ll likely save money in the long run (your head will feel better too, not to mention your liver).

When you next go to a restaurant, don’t feel the fear of talking to a sommelier. I promise you, they just love discussing wine and are always happy to guide you to choose a wine you’ll enjoy and won’t be pushing an upsell. When you enjoy something, you take your time over it and will probably drink (and spend) less overall.

A good restaurant will be proud of its list at every price point and will have worked with small suppliers who know all of their producers. It’s a tight chain and gives you a real connection to the person who made your wine. I would also urge you to seek out your local independent wine shop; pop in and ask them for a recommendation. Nothing will bring them more pleasure than finding something that you really love.

When you actually start asking yourself if you like the taste of what you’re drinking, you often find you’ll drink less as you take time to enjoy it more.

I realise this is a staggeringly privileged position, but until we stop seeing booze as a means to get drunk, our national identity of “Boozy Britain” will long continue. And it’ll keep giving us all a headache.

Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a wine merchant and consultant