'By age 35 you should' is trending on social media at the moment after it was announced to the media by a retirement company that by age 35 you should have at least twice your annual salary saved for the day you can stop working. After the hollow laughs many took to social media to put their twist on this 'you should' advice (read on...) but it left me wondering why shouldn't we mature folks take this concept for ourselves – what should you have done with that wine advice by age 70?
Well in the dedicated drawer full of stuff 'too useful to throw away' that you'll have acquired by age 35 (see the social media 'By age 35 you should' theme) you'll find several types of corkscrew that were fashionable at some point but proved to be useless (remember the one that pumps air through the cork with a needle to push up the cork? or the wooden one with an inner and outer cylinder that defied understanding?).
Well keep these items there as momentoes of a hot head because 'By age 70 you should' ignore corkscrews and only buy wines that are easy to access in less that 5 seconds.
If your grip is still strong enough then wine bottles with screwcaps fit this bill, or for easier access you could try the 'squirt and slurp' tap type wine boxes or pouches.
What else should you have done by age 70 with that pinch of celery salt?
How about learning to ignore that excellent marketing advice that says celebrations aren't complete without sparkling wine – particularly champagne. If you like prosecco then toast the new grandchild with this – or why not a glass of your favourite Riesling if that's your thing?
And don't be afraid to choose the first, and cheapest wine, off the wine list in a restaurant. Psychology trains us to choose the third one – and restaurant owners know this – but more often than not the cheapest wine (it'll still be ten quid a bottle thanks to the mark up) will taste fruity and fine even though you've never heard of it.
So be brave and write your own list of 'by age 70 you should'.
*** Some of responses to the advice given on social media using 'by age 35 you should' include:
- give up on the dream of learning to fold fitted sheets properly
- amassed twice your salary in tupperware that don't have matching lids
- have a wad of keys on a key ring that you don't know what they are for
PG Wine Reviews
Lidl Corbieres 2016, France
£4.99 Lidl
Flavours of redcurrant, blackberry, raisin and violet.
Animus Vinho Verde 2017, Portugal
£4.99 Aldi
A light white with a slight sparkle (or 'spritz' as the wine trade calls it) that's fresh and floral.
Co-op Irresistible Limestone Rise 2016, English
£8.99 Co-op
A light English white that's the equivalent of an Italian Pinot Grigio. Expect flavours of almond, apple and lime.
Leon Perdigal Cotes du Rhone 2016, France
£8.99 Majestic
Plum, cherry and some smoky blackcurrant.
Lacheteau Cremant de Loire sparkling wine, Brut
£9.99 Ocado (down from £14.99 until June 12)
Quite a deep earthy flavour plus fresh apple juice and almond.
This article also appeared as Paula's Wines of the Week on MatureTimes.co.uk
