First Date Romance Under Threat from Wine Denial

1 month ago 07th Oct 10:05

First Date Romance Under Threat from Wine Denial

Whoever said romance is dead might just be right. Sharing a bottle of wine and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes over a romantic dinner is fast becoming a thing of the past. Desperate to impress, 96% of British men admit they would try to avoid the responsibility of choosing the wine on a first date.

According to a study of our wine drinking habits by convenience retailer SPAR, men feel intimidated by the huge variety of wine on offer and worry that a poor selection will reflect badly on them, hampering their chances - nothing cuts a date short like sour grapes.

Nervous about ordering wine on a date, most men are also reluctant to drink wine down the pub with their mates, which is clearly still the domain of the pint. In comparison, 40% of women regularly choose a glass of wine as their tipple when down the local - proving that putting the world to rights over a bottle of wine after a hard day in the office is still something just for the girls.

Real men don't drink rosé
There is still a stigma with rosé for men, according to SPAR's research. 95% of men still can't bring themselves to drink a glass of the pink stuff, compared to only 20% of women. A robust red is the most masculine choice for men with 58% of those surveyed choosing it as their favourite type of wine. It seems British men prefer the deeper and riper tastes that a Merlot or Pinot Noir offer compared to the fresh and vibrant aromas of a fruity rosé.

Whilst men try to avoid it, blondes have more fun when it comes to rosé. Just under a third of blonde women (28%) would choose the pink drink as their favourite wine, compared to just 8% of brunettes - they would rather have a crisp glass of white (47%).

Staying in is the new going out
Men and women a-like (41%) prefer to unwind with a glass or two of wine in the comfort of their own home. It seems that the best way to woo a woman now is to treat her to a bottle at home, rather than splashing out on fizz over a romantic dinner. With everyone still feeling the pinch it appears we are all content to spend some quality time together at home - and a glass of wine is the perfect accompaniment.

SPAR's head wine buyer and Master of Wine, Laura Jewell, comments: "Choosing the right wine for any occasion doesn't have to be difficult. Men shouldn't be intimidated when confronted with a big range of wines to choose from, there are plenty of wines out there that are great quality at an affordable price - you can't go wrong. Besides, the woman sitting opposite you is there because she likes you - not your ability to choose wine!"

The research also found:

* Seeing red: taking co-ordination to the extreme, a glass of red wine is the drink of choice for red heads (63%)
* Bring your own: whilst wine is best enjoyed at home according to the majority of Brits, we're quite happy to enjoy a glass at someone else's home - dinner parties are the second most popular place to share a bottle (24%)