Vexed by vino: Survey shows Lancashire wine fans tongue-tied by their favoured tipple

If getting tongue-tied over a Tempranillo and hitting a hard 'k' sound in Rioja sounds like something you may be guilty of, you're not alone: a survey has revealed that over a quarter of wine drinkers in Lancashire change their wine order to avoid pronunciation gaffes.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Oct 2018, 10:11 BST
Updated 24th Oct 2018, 11:23 BST
Tongue-tied by Tempranillos.Tongue-tied by Tempranillos.
Tongue-tied by Tempranillos.

Bombarded by an array of delicious yet linguistically devious beverages, Lancastrians frequently get themselves in a tizz over their favourite tipples, with a poll of 2,000 people by Spanish wine brand Marqués de Cáceres showing that more than 50% of those from the North West can't pronounce Chianti, just under 25% can say Rioja correctly, and 73% stumble on Riesling.

There also appears to be some confusion over where our vinos of choice come from and how they should be served, with one in four wine-drinkers insisting red wine should be served below 10°C when the ideal temp is 15°C and a third almost freezing their whites to below 5°C when the ideal temperature is a crisp 9°C.

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What is more, 60% of people don’t know that Rioja is from Spain or that Prosecco is Italian, while half of those asked didn't know Chianti is Italian and Riesling predominantly comes from Germany. In fact, price appears to be the biggest factor in selecting a vintage, with half looking first at how much the bottle costs, a quarter picking a familiar name, and one in ten going on alcohol percentage.

“People should not be afraid of asking the name on a bottle of wine, nor of getting it wrong; you’ll only get it wrong once!" said Cristina Forner, President of Marqués de Cáceres. “It’s what is the liquid inside the bottle that matters and by trying new things, people can educate themselves on what they like when it comes to wine.

“When I’m not sure of a wine I’ll simply take a photo of the label on my phone and then I always have it to show at bars or shops," she added. “Drinking ‘like the locals’ on holiday helps too, as you can discover names that are not as everyday as some of the labels we see in supermarkets."

Best Wine Pronunciation League Table:

1) Brighton

2) Southampton

3) Bristol

4) Norwich

5) Edinburgh

6) Nottingham

7) Liverpool

8) Plymouth

9) Glasgow

10) London

11) Manchester

12) Leeds

13) Birmingham

14) Newcastle

15) Cardiff

16) Sheffield

Related topics:Lancashire