9 Times When It’s Totally Okay to Drink Wine by Yourself

Drinking any sort of alcoholic beverage on your own has a certain stigma around it. Alcohol is a social drink, especially when it comes to a bottle of wine. If you’re drinking on your own then you must be either depressed or turning into an alcoholic according to many people. This can be true in some cases (we encourage you to seek professional help immediately) but there are also times in my opinion when it’s totally okay to have a wee vino by yourself.

Naturally drinking wine should always be in moderation, as is the case when you’re drinking socially too. If you’re upset, angry, frustrated or down in the dumps I don’t think drinking by yourself will help the situation or solve any problems – actually a lot of times it can make things worse so turn to a friend instead.

I admit occasionally I drink wine on my own. I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to admit that because there are some very valid reasons as to why I do it. Sometimes a glass of wine with me, myself and I is just what the doctor ordered (if only doctors prescribed such things).

So here are 9 situations when I feel it’s totally okay to pop a cork by yourself..

1. In the bath/shower

I don’t know about you guys but a glass of red, good book and a few candles to lighten the mood in a bubble bath is perfection after a long day at work. To be honest it’s one of my favourite ways to spend an evening, the ultimate relaxation.

Plus with things like sipcaddys and bath caddys, it’s meant to be really. We love our sip caddy for the shower/bath and we think Hungry for Wine’s bath caddy is freakin’ awesome!

Glass of bubbles, book, bath and a cheese platter… doesn’t get much more relaxing than that, especially in this cold Perth weather! #bathtime #book #bubbles #cheese #relax #hungryforwine

A photo posted by Hungry For Wine (@hungryforwine) on Jun 8, 2016 at 3:10am PDT

2. When your cats drinking Pinot Meow

Before you snigger away in the corner deeming me as the ultimate cat lady, hear me out. Pinot Meow – is literally wine for cats made by American company Apollo Peak using ingredients such as catnip and Beetroot. Seriously you can’t let your cat drink alone right? Just make sure your vino comes from a different bottle to the Pinot Meow.

3. When you’re writing ‘tasting notes’

As you know I write a tasting note for virtually every wine I try. The wines I don’t write notes for are when I’m being social. There’s nothing social about analysing a wines look, smell and taste when out and about with friends. Writing notes down in a book/on your phone looks a touch geeky and pretentious (unless you get the group involved which is what I try to do!). If I could get away with it, I probably would write a note for every wine no matter where I was, but I do feel there’s a time and place for writing a tasting note as it does take your full attention.

Therefore if you are really wanting to spend the time to analyse and get to know a wine, I find an uninterrupted space is best.

4. When you’re kid free

Seriously if you have kids and have shipped them off to the grandparents for the night or they’re on a sleepover then you deserve a glass or two! Actually head back to point one to justify your wine-for-one even further!

5. Because of the food

We all know some meals are heightened by wine. Think oysters and Champagne/Riesling or steak and red wine. It’s pure sacrilege not to have a glass of red with spaghetti Bolognese right? There are some meals that all serious wine lovers can’t have without a glass of vino. Whether you live by yourself or your partner is FIFO/working away sometimes you just have to have a wine with your meal.

Actually out of all the points listed on this post I think you’ll find this is one of the most common reasons people drink wine by themselves. Cheers to that wine & food lovers.

Rainy weather calls for stemless wine glasses full of red wine with a side of spaghetti bolognese ?? #TCWeekdayWine

A photo posted by Travelling Corkscrew Wine Blog (@travellingcorkscrew) on Apr 28, 2016 at 4:08am PDT

6. When you’re ‘studying’ for a wine course

I clearly remember when we were living in Dubai and Mr. Spittoon came home to me surrounded by open wine bottles on the lounge floor. At first he didn’t know what to think until he realised that I was taking studying for my WSET blind tasting exam extremely seriously. Actually a similar thing happened when I completed the free edX online wine course last year.

The more wines you can taste and analyse, the better your palate and senses will be when trying wine. If you’re completing a wine course then there’s no doubt some wine tasting will be involved in some form and well you need to practise right!

7.  When you’re reading a book about wine

Along similar lines to the above, if you’re studying/reading about wine then it may just call for a glass of vino on the side. I like to look at it as the ‘full experience’.

Some of my favourite wine books are:

• Wine Folly
• The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It
• The Champagne Diet

8. When you’re on Skype or Facetime

Technically you’re not really alone as you’re chatting to someone. They may be on the other side of the world, but hey that’s cool. Having programs like Skype and FaceTime make travelling and living away from home so much better. As most of you know, I’m a Kiwi and haves lived away from NZ for nearly 10 years so Skype and FaceTime are no stranger to me. I love sitting down to an online chat session with mum and dad while we all have a glass of wine, it literally feels like we’re all in the one place!

9. Toasting yourself and ones journey in life

Sometimes it’s nice to simply toast yourself and your accomplishments. What do they call it, self-love? You shouldn’t feel like you have to be around people to have a cheeky glass or two of vino on a special occasion. Put on some old school rap, pour yourself a glass of champas and dance the night away in your living room!

You also shouldn’t be looked at sideways if you mention you had a wine by yourself last night. As long as you’re not hibernating and carrying around your wine in a paper bag then we fully support moderate wine drinking by oneself.

Cheers to that!