Every wine-lover can admit to buying a bottle just because it has a pretty label, or even chucking a few ice cubes in a glass of Sav on a hot day, but a new survey has revealed some hilarious and bizarre crimes against wine committed by Kiwis.
Online subscription service Winefriend polled nearly 1,500 New Zealanders for 'The Great New Zealand Wine Census' and the results are surprising, to say the least.
At least 5% of respondents admitted to trying to DIY their own bubbly by putting their wine through a SodaStream, while 16% just shamelessly mixed their vino with a soft drink of their choice.
Perhaps most shockingly, over a tenth of Kiwis say they've heated up their wine in the oven or microwave. We're still scratching our heads over that one.
A whopping 89% said they've purchased a wine just because they liked the label - relatable - and 84% confessed to buying wine they couldn't pronounce the name of.
Over 70% thought they could taste the difference between cheap and expensive wine, and 2 out of 5 people felt confident enough to send a bottle of wine back at a restaurant.
Winefriend Chief Tasting Officer Yvonne Lorkin says it's clear Aotearoa is a nation of wine-lovers.
"Today’s wine world is absolutely brimming with possibilities, and we have definitely moved on from stuffy sit-down meals, confusing cutlery and rigid wine and food pairing rules," she said.
"While I’m not a fan of using DIY methods to turn your still wine into sparkling, I would encourage exploration of new varietals, producers and styles you haven’t heard of before."
We know lockdown was a weird time, but let's maybe keep all soda-related things away from the vino, shall we?
