I thought I’d take a break from my more informative encyclopedic posts and do something a little more editorial. The wine industry encompasses such a huge body of knowledge, from chemistry to soil science, wood working to viral marketing that sometimes I get so involved in the process of producing wine that I lose sight of why humans put so much effort into crafting the highest quality wines the world has ever seen. What’s so special about wine that it has developed into a worldwide phenomenon? Why is it that in the pantheon of Greek gods, Dionysus, the god of wine, sits among the elite Olympians? I don’t remember Frank, the god of mead, sitting on a throne next to Zeus. Moreover, wine has created a subculture that is woven into the fabric of many different societies. Wine lovers from across the globe seek each other out in a variety of forums to share their experience and passion. So what’s with all the hubbub?
Wine represents a truly unique substance, not just unique in the sense that it is different from all other food and beverages, but also in the sense that every vintage is unique, further diversified by the conditions of the region, the varietal, the vines, the winery that produced it, the technique, the artistry of the cooper, etcetera etcetera. The complexity of the chemical composition of the grape itself and the stupefying amount of variables involved in producing a particular wine, make duplicating it an impossible task. This stands in stark contrast to beer, which can be exactly reproduced following a recipe, to the extent that generally no difference is discernable. Any wine enthusiast will tell you that a good bottle of wine is a reflection of the time and place from which it came.
There’s a fourth dimension to wine as well: Time. Wine isn’t like a snapshot of the year that it was produced. Sometimes the cork gives us the impression that the wine is hermetically sealed and existing apart from the rest of the world, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s not a frozen in time but instead is a living thing that changes as it ages, just like the rest of us. It might take time to find itself when it’s young; have a particularly awkward adolescence; then blossom into maturity and age gracefully. Or it might go the way of Jim Morrison, and live fast and die young. Wine is ever changing. Incorporated into this idea, is that drinking wine is an experience that we have, and like a moment in time, no experience can ever be replicated. So you might have enjoyed a wine at a fun dinner party with close friends and its impact is different than it might be if you enjoyed that same wine winding down from a long day.
So my theory is that wine occupies such a unique place in our culture precisely because it is a fleeting experience. The sensation of wine on our palate is so ephemeral. Perhaps that’s why we prize wines that linger on tongue, better known as wines with a long finish. Subconsciously, when we uncork a bottle, we are searching for a familiar experience we had enjoyed before or are in search of a new and exciting one. Maybe it’s this reflection of life that draws us in and enchants us. Oh, and sometimes it tastes good too.