McGinn - The Knackered Mothers Wine Club: everything you need to know about wine, and much, much more

FOR TIM

A chap called Hawker wrote a book called Chats About Wine back in 1907 and asked:

... what is it? This wonderful elixir of life, which is almost as old as the world itself and yet is overflowing with the exuberance of youth; which restores and invigorates us when the powers of life are low; uplifts and cheers us in days of sorrow and gloom; evokes and enhances our joys and pleasures; and by which the inherent living force it is endowed with, gives animation, energy and inspiration to every sense and faculty we possess?

Thats wine, that is. And it is (mostly) delicious.

Youve just got to choose wisely.

The Knackered Mother(knackeredus maternius) is most commonly seen in her natural habitat: the kitchen. Here, she slaves away putting food on the table for her children to flick all over the floor, occasionally falling silent to eat some of it herself. She exists on a diet of sandwich crusts, leftover fish fingers and mint KitKats with the odd half-cup of lukewarm tea if shes lucky. In daylight hours, when not with her cubs, she can be found manically trying to squeeze a weeks work into three days whilst trying not to let the noise of under-fives, a needy dog and a weird cat be heard through the study door. At night, she can be found lying on the sofa, glass of (usually very good) wine within reach, trying to summon up the energy to cook/speak.

Not to be confused with the lesser-spotted Shattered Father(bearded grumpius paternius). There have been reported sightings of these creatures in the same habitat, but in each instance at least one of them was asleep.

Im going to assume you are reading this because you are, like me, a knackered mother and/or a wine lover. This book is designed to help you explore, discover and, ultimately, choose wine with confidence. Its about ensuring that when you do decide to settle down with a glass of wine after a busy day, having wrestled the kids into bed, its going to be worth it. The Knackered Mothers Wine Club just sort of, well... happened (Ill explain in a minute). Its not a very exclusive club to say the least, but basically, if you like wine, youre in: no dress code, no membership policy, no fees (other than buying this, obviously).

On the shelf in my study at home is a row of long-emptied wine bottles, each one marked with a date and occasion in silver pen, including a bottle of 1988 Vintage Champagne that marks the year the Husband and I got together as teenagers. It was a wedding present and we drank it years later, to celebrate the birth of Eldest Boy. I havent been lucky enough to have it since, but Ill never forget how I felt when I drank it (clue: not knackered). The thing is, I love wine. Really love it. And I dont just mean whats in the glass. Obviously thats a really big part, and I love that theres always more to discover, but for me wine is about so much more than that. Its about bringing us together around a table, covered with food (or at the very least a bowl of crisps). Wine makes us sit down (I especially like that part) and converse. Wine connects us with places, with stories and, best of all, with each other.

Almost twenty years ago I decided Id like to make my working way in the world with glass in hand, literally, because I liked what was in the glass. Now, a few years on, I can see that it wasnt just about that, it was as much about the people; those who make wine and those who drink it.

One of my favourite nights in my not particularly social calendar these days is my book-club evening. Sure, we talk about the book, but really its about a group of friends getting together around a table, sharing funny, sad, mad and sometimes very bad stories, mixed in with opinions, food and of course a really nice glass of wine.

Ive spent my entire working life in the wine industry, feeling for much of it that, like Charlie Bucket, Id won the golden ticket. For years I was a supermarket wine buyer, and when the first of my three children came along I gave up the travel for the travel cot, and now work part-time in wine. Friends have always asked me for wine recommendations, whether its for everyday drinking, slightly posh dinners, parties, weddings, christenings/naming days, anniversaries or big birthdays ending in a zero. And theyve always told me how the great wall of wine they face each week in the supermarket can feel utterly overwhelming.

Consequently, for years I sent a regular email to friends whod asked for recommendations, especially on good wine deals, and the title of that email was The Knackered Mothers Wine Club. And that was where it all started; the blog was born one night when the Husband was away and Id had enough of working late with the laptop on the sofa in front of The Only Way is Gypsy Wedding Made Every Minute Naked. I thought that sharing my own weekly wine purchases two wines a week, whatever I happened to be drinking might help inspire others to try something different as well as unearth some hidden gems and properly good deals along the way.

I blogged every week usually with a glass in reach whatever my mood: happy, not so happy or just plain knackered. For the first few months the blog was read religiously; by my sister, mother and the Husband. Then I started to get comments from people who were a) not related to me and b) seemingly normal, interested in wine and wanting to know more about it. And so the weekly posts continued, with added vlogs (video blogs) and tasting tips, amongst other stuff. I received emails from women telling me theyd never realized Chablis was made from Chardonnay grapes (fact) or that legs on a glass was a sign of alcohol content rather than quality. In short, my blog had hit on something.

These were busy, knowledge-thirsty (mostly) mothers, reading my blog and enjoying learning more about wine. It was a revelation. My audience started to grow, and suddenly there I was, doing what I love, namely sharing my thoughts on good wine and helping others grow in confidence when choosing, buying and talking about wine, whilst encouraging them to try new things.

How I drink now is very different to how I drank before I had children, not least because looking after children with a hangover is rarely worth the pain. More than that, as I get older Im realizing that, actually, I dont want to drink as much as I used to. The shallow part of me worries about the extra calories Im taking on, the less shallow part of me knows that it isnt good for my general health.

The recommended drink less but I drink better. By that, I mean that instead of drinking the same wine week in, week out, I shop around and try different things whenever possible. With so much choice on the shelves and online, you could try a different wine every week and still only taste the tip of the wine-iceberg.

It is my hope that the information in this book will help you step outside your wine comfort zone and give you the knowledge you need to get more from your glass of wine, to take you beyond the discount deals and lead you by the hand or perhaps the nose through what to drink with Sunday roasts, childrens parties (yes, childrens parties, and no, Im not suggesting you serve wine to your little darlings), to book-club tastings, TV dinners, store-cupboard essentials and more. You will feel inspired not to drink more wine, that I should be clear on, but to drink better wine. Im going to help you think about tasting wines properly, learn how to make tasting notes and not feel like a pretentious wine-freak writing down what you do and dont like. Were going beyond the bland to a newly discovered blend. Ive written this with a very clear intention: to help you make more informed choices when selecting a bottle to drink, because, as weve already established, lifes too short to drink bad wine.