If you’re a wine lover, it’s more than likely that you’ll have used the expression ‘wine o’ clock’ on more than one occasion. After all, it’s the perfect phrase to describe the perfect moment to pour yourself a glass of your favourite vino.
But it’s actually a real thing. So much so, the Oxford English Dictionary officially recognised the phrase in 2015 as ‘an appropriate time of day for starting to drink wine’.
But the dictionary doesn’t specify a time, meaning that wine o’clock has been left open to interpretation, having a different significance for different people, depending on occasion, celebration and mood.
So we sought the advice of wine experts to help us uncover the precise time of wine o’clock.
When is wine o'clock?
For Jane Anson, contributing editor at Decanter magazine, wine o’clock varies depending on the circ*mstance, primarily focusing on drinking with food.
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‘A lazy Sunday brunch wine o’clock could be 11am with a mimosa, while a Summer beach holiday could call for wine o’clock at lunchtime with a cold glass of rosé,’ she told us.
‘For me, the rules for a normal working day back at home is when whoever is cooking that night gets to open whatever wine goes best with the food.’
And this concept of drinking wine with dinner is something that has developed throughout history.
Food historian Dr Annie Gray tells us that the most popular time to drink wine has changed depending on the set eating times.
‘It was only wine o'clock if you could afford it, and then it depended on the era. The Tudors ate their main meal at 10am, the Stuarts at 2pm and the Victorians at 8pm,’ she told us. ‘Historically, therefore, wine o’clock is whenever you want it to be!’
But wine o’clock takes on a whole new meaning if tasting wine is your full-time job...
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For Joe Fattorini, presenter of ITV programme The Wine Show, wine o’clock has no correlation with mealtimes, and is in fact between the hours of 11 in the morning and one in the afternoon.
This is because it’s the perfect time to properly taste wine, when your mouth is drier and not obscured by the lingering taste of food.
‘For wine tasters, 11am to one pm is the optimum time to actually drink wine because your mouth is drier,’ he informed us.
‘The saliva that builds up in your mouth throughout the day can dramatically change the taste of wine. It doesn’t make it taste worse, just different.’
For non-professional wine tasters, however, he says five to six o’clock in the evening is a great time to drink wine ‘because you’re hungry before dinner, thus building up your appetite for a glass’.
And when we posed the question on social media, you all agreed, with 43% believing wine o’clock started at 5pm.
This was compared to 24% who said it was 7pm with dinner; 4% that thought it was anytime past one in the afternoon and 29% that believe it's whenever you want.
And there’s actually a huge psychological meaning behind our desire to drink wine post 5pm.
It’s called ‘anchoring’, a term used to describe the association between a specific state and a specific stimulus. In this instance, the stimulus being wine, and the state being relaxation.
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‘An anchor can be a sound (the glugging of wine in a glass), a sight (a bottle of wine), a feeling (holding a cold glass in your hand), or a smell,’ says Jo Blakeley, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming trainer and author of Blokes, Beers & Burritos.
‘What happens is that, outside your conscious awareness, you come to associate these sensory stimuli with a particular state– in this instance, relaxation.’
‘Because wine o’clock at 5pm usually signifies the line between work and leisure, you immediately feel relaxed upon hearing a glug of wine, or seeing a glass of wine, etc.’
‘It’s like when you smell something that immediately takes you back to a particularly memory – such as a specific aftershave, or freshly cut grass. It takes you back to a certain time in your life without any conscious knowledge of it happening.’
So there you go. While there’s no specific time to celebrate wine o’clock, it seems that the most popular choice is around 5-6pm, when we can shirk our responsibilities for the day, pop that cork and unwind to the sound of Pinot splashing in the glass.
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As a wine enthusiast and expert in the field, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to shed light on the intriguing concept of "wine o'clock" discussed in the article. My expertise is grounded in a deep understanding of wine culture, history, and the sensory aspects of wine tasting. I've explored various facets of wine appreciation, from food pairings to optimal tasting times.
The article delves into the Oxford English Dictionary officially recognizing the term "wine o'clock" in 2015 as "an appropriate time of day for starting to drink wine." This linguistic recognition indicates the cultural significance and widespread acceptance of the concept.
One key aspect highlighted in the article is the flexibility of the term, emphasizing that "wine o'clock" is open to interpretation, varying for different individuals based on occasions, celebrations, and moods. To unravel the precise timing of this elusive moment, the insights of wine experts are sought.
Jane Anson, a contributing editor at Decanter magazine, shares her perspective, emphasizing the contextual nature of "wine o'clock." She suggests that the timing depends on the circ*mstance, especially focusing on pairing wine with food. This aligns with the historical development of drinking wine with dinner, a practice that has evolved over the centuries.
Food historian Dr. Annie Gray provides historical context, noting that the popularity of wine consumption has shifted with changing eating times. The concept of "wine o'clock" historically depended on factors such as affordability and societal norms regarding mealtime.
Joe Fattorini, presenter of ITV's The Wine Show, introduces a professional perspective, asserting that for wine tasters, the optimal time to drink wine is between 11 am and 1 pm. He explains that during this period, the mouth is drier, providing an ideal environment for tasting wine without the interference of lingering food flavors.
Additionally, the article explores the psychological aspect of "wine o'clock," introducing the concept of "anchoring." Jo Blakeley, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming trainer, explains that our association of specific sensory stimuli (such as the sound or sight of wine) with a state of relaxation contributes to the popular notion of "wine o'clock" around 5-6 pm. This time frame marks the transition from work to leisure, making it a psychologically significant moment for unwinding with a glass of wine.
In summary, the article combines linguistic, historical, professional, and psychological perspectives to unravel the multifaceted nature of "wine o'clock," ultimately suggesting that the most popular choice for this delightful ritual is around 5-6 pm.
