Wine O’Clock may not stop the Bank of England making bleak pronouncements about the future or cut our fuel bills, but it does make the onslaught of bad ­financial news easier to bear.

It’s a terrifying thought to those of us who live for the moment we can lift a cool crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a mellow Chianti to our lips, but the combination of poor harvests and increased international demand, means Wine O’Clock, an article of faith for the Mumsnet generation, is now under threat.