Pints 0, Wine 4: perfect wines for the footie

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/03/wine-match-football-widow

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I recently overheard a very old-fashioned conversation about “football widows” in reference to those women in heterosexual couples who find themselves abandoned when their husbands spend the afternoon downing pints and watching the football in the pub. This is obviously a ludicrously outdated idea; I happen to know a number of women who watch ball sports – with or without men. It’s a bonding exercise.

Some sports psychologists say that passionate sports fans enjoy more positive mental health due to the camaraderie that results from rooting for a particular team as a group. Others argue that supporting a team together makes fans feel part of something bigger than the self. In any case, alcohol is doubtless a tool for emotional bonding, and an ideal addition to sporting occasions.

So, what does one drink while watching rugby or football? Beer is the choice for nearly everyone at the football match: a friend told me that drinking anything else made her feel “pretentious”, but in the privacy of her own home, she liked to break out the wine.

But which wine? And is there a different wine for football than for rugby? The choice of beverage should be dictated more by the time of kickoff than the shape of the ball. For a 3pm start, the moment calls for a crisp, lively bottle of white wine; fine sipped on its own or accompanied by a bowl of salty snacks. For an evening start, I’d suggest a red wine, preferably under screw cap to avoid fumbling around with a corkscrew during a particularly tense moment on the field. But make your own rules – there’s no ref in your living room.

Sometimes the moment calls for flexibility - you were supposed to be hosting eight people and now you’re going to be looking after 12? You thought you’d have time to grill fish tacos and make homemade guacamole but now you’re ordering pizza? - and for wine that doesn’t cry out to be the centre of attention. Here are four that do just that - and they rival the cost of beer to boot.

Franschhoek Freedom Cross Chenin Blanc 2014, South Africa £6.80, hhandc.co.ukPuertas Antiguas Viognier 2013, Chile £7.50, corneyandbarrow.com Sangiovese di Puglia, Vetriano IGT 2012, Italy £6.50, hhandc.co.ukIntenso Teroldego, Campanha 2013, Brazil £9.99, marksandspencer.com

Christian Holthausen is an Franco-American wine specialist living in London. Twitter: @bosiechampagne