Beat the Blue Monday blues with Decanter.com's five ways to be cheerful on what is reputedly the most depressing day of the year - at least for those in the midst of dark winter in the northern hemisphere.
Today is Blue Monday in the northern hemisphere, supposedly the most depressing day of the year; where Christmas credit card bills begin to appear, the weather seems to be even darker and colder and summer seems a million miles away.
But it doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. Here are Decanter.com’s top wine related tips for beating the blues:
Book a wine holiday
Take this opportunity to book a wine tour of your favourite wine region. Many wineries open their doors to visitors and offer wine tastings and tours of the vineyard and winery. If a holiday is out of the question, you could visit a winery for the day.
Discover an exciting wine to try
Liver expert Dr Michael Apstein says that not drinking for a month during dry January has almost no health benefits and that moderate drinking can be beneficial. So, have a glass of wine when you get home. You can find something new to try here, and it won’t break the bank…
January wine sales
Wine merchants go into sale just like every other retailer in the January and, because sales drop dramatically post Christmas, the reductions can be quite large.
A few retailers are still on sale, including Berry Bros & Rudd who currently have up to 50% off on some wines. Most retailers, even those that are no longer in sale, still have plenty of special offers, such as Majestic and Laithwaites.
Cook something a little more exciting for dinner
Everyone knows a good meal can improve the day, so try cooking something a little more interesting this evening. Roasted octopus salad with chilli mayonnaise from Michel Roux Jr perhaps?
Learn about wine
Why not learn something new about wine? Sign up for a WSET course or take one of our quizzes.
