Fairly early on in our wine drinking lives we develop likes and dislikes and, I suspect, build up resistances to those wines we initially didn’t like. How easily we can become prejudiced against heavily oaked wines and later avoid those which we are told are oaked, even though the effect may be minimal. Wine is like any other food in that some will love Sauvignon Blanc and others hate it. I have to admit that often I have turned down a tasting of Rosé wines because there lurks still a feeling of them being sugary, silly, girly drinks. Could it be, though, that our likes are not just whimsical; that our personalities are the drivers here?
It’s obvious who
the Viognier drinkers are. Extroverts, full of life, doers rather than
thinkers. These drinkers enjoy sensual
pleasures; they speak without thinking and act on impulse. Viognier is for the
outgoing Sagittarian and essential for the Capricorn drinker, who prefers a
confident, opinionated partner and who, like Viognier, can be clumsy and ill
defined. Capricorns and Viognier both have personalities that can make them
loners, but not alone. Elvis Presley was a Capricorn, a showman and the
definition of a Viognier.
Sauvignon Blanc
drinkers, however, are serious, reflective people. Their decisions are thoughtful, and careful;
definitely Taurean’s. They have tremendous self-control and maintain a distance
from the brashness and loudness of Viognier lovers. Cerebral types, these drinkers enjoy nothing
more than a Mozart concert at Kirstenbosch followed by an early night with a
good book (Shakespeare was a Taurean). When
they enjoy Sauvignon they enjoy it intensely and become very loyal.
Libran’s will love Riesling. The Libran
doesn’t judge a book by its cover and will find beauty where others won’t
(think Oscar Wilde). They will appreciate Riesling’s unique qualities, it’s
calm and understated quality and the fact that it appears in so many guises. Librans and Riesling will enjoy a good time
together without going overboard. Riesling is for the artists where ‘beauty is
in the eye..’
Aries and Leo’s
will relate to the confidence, warmth, generosity and sheer ‘in your faceness’
of Shiraz; less so of Syrah, a more subtle, sleek and less brash style. No, the
extravagant muscularity and no-nonsense of a 15% Shiraz will be right up their
street. Like them, Shiraz knows it is the centre of attention. Like Shiraz, their
only flaw may be a tendency to put on excess weight due to overindulgence, they
appreciate a wine that demands attention and wins many awards; drink with
fellow Ariens Andy Warhol and Madonna, nothing shy there.
Sagittarians
will need a bit more intelligence from their wine, so if it is red it has to be
Cabernet Sauvignon. They can be silly and easy going, but can also be intense
and driven. Sagittarians appreciate effort and intensity and in Cabernet look
for depth of personality, resolute will and layers of complexity. Imagine the conversation you could have over
a bottle of Le Riche with fellows Woody Allen and Nostradamus.
Aquarian’s will
look for the ‘Fair Trade’ symbol on a bottle, or head for the Organic Wine
section. Heaven for them is knowing that R2 of the bottle they bought will be
going straight to an humanitarian cause. It’s more important than the wine
itself to them, suffering in the world is not the remit of any one variety, so
they will spread their love among the shelves and enjoy the good that will come
from it. Perhaps they could spread the love with Yoko Ono.
Scorpio’s might
prefer Merlot, or an unobtrusive wine from the bargain shelf. They like their
wines to be submissive, like their partners, and don’t expect to have to work
hard at it. They want a passive,
uncomplicated wine to balance their dominant personality and in keeping with
their risk taking will not hesitate to pluck that obscure red blend or Ruby
Cabernet. The sting in their tale is being able to switch from brand to brand,
dropping the bottle enjoyed last week for something new this week. Politicians
will like Merlot’s inoffensive qualities and ability to be all things to all
people.
Pisces and Virgo
and Pinot Noir; a perfect match. Pisces
can often seem disconnected and detached, they may lose direction and be easily
hurt. Albert Einstein was a Piscean: exactly. Like Pinot Noir, Pisces are very
site-sensitive. They need to live where they feel safe and confident or they
can become reticent and withdrawn. They need to be with people who believe in
them and enjoy their unusual qualities. In the right place with the right
people Pisces and Pinot Noir can be outgoing, deep and rewarding and immensely
enjoyable. Virgo people are always analysing themselves, often lack confidence
and like Pinot Noir are always seeking perfection. Virgos and Pinot Noir have
expectations which often exceed their grasp.
It has to be
Chardonnay for Cancerians. They trust
its reliability and consistency and always depend on it to deliver. Chardonnay
is comforting and undemanding, it’s always there; life’s security blanket. It
will always provide succour to their changing moods and like them, may cast a
jealous eye to the brazenness of lesser varietals or more fancy beverages.
Finding their favourite brand when away will always remind them of home.
It’s probably
Geminis who are behind the upsurge in sales of Rosé wine, especially
made from Pinotage. It’s perfect for their split personality. One week they may
startle friends by ordering a bottle of Pinotage Rosé with a meal;
totally in-keeping with their wacky sense of humour, the next week order a 15%
Pinotage revelling in its massive fruit and tannins. The next, order a Pinotage
Cape Vintage, chilled, as an aperitif. Geminis love the dichotomy and the effect it
has on others, of course, they will probably forget to finish the wine.
So, if there is
any link between your personality and wine it may be in the stars. Personally,
I think the deciding factor is more likely to be in the mouth and in the
pocket.