On bottle shop shelves throughout the
world we face the impossible task of choosing a bottle of wine. In
vessels of varied shapes and suited in marketing badges, ranging from
gorgeous and glamorous to weird and just wrong, bottles sit silently
and wait to be chosen. Choice is weighed heavily upon by what is cool,
interesting or highbrow. Why should it matter, why is this choice so
difficult? Why is this product so revered and sought after? Does wine's
widely changeable expressions and its ability to live longer than the
person who made it, elevate it to a higher place in the fridge door
than the oj and the milk, or is wine, like water, just a drink? The
simple answer to these questions is found in the ease of wine
production.
Grapes used to make wine have natural qualities that make them perfect for fermentation and ageing. Their high water content assists in making volume, their sugar content offers potential alcohol and all grapes have a waxy layer that appears when ripening, called the 'bloom', perfect for catching natural yeasts from the vineyard to begin fermentation. These simple processes are further enhanced by tannins in the skins and the grapes' natural acidity, specifically, tartaric acid, that allows the wine to age gracefully once fermented. The vigour of grapevines is another attribute in wine's favour toward their quest for world domination. Put simply, grapevines would take over the world if left unabated. The vine is a wonderfully hardy plant, which grows rapidly - it is growth of this kind that is good for bulk but bad for quality. For many companies, wine's sole purpose is that of vehicle for which to administer alcohol. The vines voracity for growth is why modern viticulture's focus is increasingly on holding back the vine, in a quest to create better quality. In most cases still, large yields are relentlessly pursued. As in many things, higher production equals more money regardless of quality. Ease of production and a diverse range of wine-making influences result in endless expressions of the final product, moulded by cultural differences and geographical expression. Such variety in wine's final product, despite its humble beginnings, continue to appeal in its simplicity and mystify in its complexity.
To understand wine is to understand history, geography and then most difficult of all, to interpret this through not just your brain, but by using your tongue and your nose. The basic formulae for making wine has remained unchanged for centuries and retains, at its most basic level, the qualities that make it a drink. Wine has evolved from a time when it was simply a source of refreshment when town water was undrinkable, to being analysed, written about and discussed by all who encounter it and come in contact with its unique properties. Its journey has taken it from necessity to ultimate luxury and is worn by celebrity like haute couture, and critiqued by the intelligentsia like Proust and Dante.
Moreover, wine has emerged to play a role in defining social / cultural 'moments' that many keep close to their hearts and have allowed us to accept wine as more than 'just a drink'. Wine's role as social lubricant is a less lofty, yet intrinsic trait of its success throughout the ages, three landmark 'moments' in history have progressively established wine to have a central role in our lives. These moments are, in order from least to most importance 3.The elevation of wine to pop icon status when UB40's 'Red, Red Wine' topped US charts following years of European success, 2. The year was 1967, a man by the name of Dan Gurney spontaneously sprayed a bottle of Champagne after winning the Le Mans 24 hour road race in France creating a tradition symbolising victory and celebration. And the number 1 most important moment in the history of wine....drum roll....was in approximately 20AD when a young man by the name of Jesus, unsatisfied with the beverages available at a wedding feast, turned water into wine! And there you have it. Wine; pop icon, sporting ritual and holy beverage of choice. Wine has risen beyond mortality and is no more "drink" than Bill Gates is an 'IT guy' and in Mark Twain's words on his own work, "My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine - everybody drinks water."
Wine's evolution, our scrutiny and even our desire to justify its continued existence, especially as commodity and necessary luxury, goes beyond its importance as a social lubricant. Over time our scrutiny of wine has led to important discoveries such as flavonoids in wine and their ability to decrease levels of low density lipoproteins and increase levels of high density lipoproteins which help fight heart disease. These discoveries enable the argument of wine's heightened status, from drink to life preserver.
Wine has accompanied humanity through the ages, and while its purpose was certainly once perhaps to function simply 'as a drink' it has evolved with our culture and habits. Wine's ability to age has seen it enter a different realm to any other beverage. With this unique ability, wine is as much a part of the art world as it is the drink lists. To be able to safely consume and enjoy a product made from things grown more than 100 years ago is an astonishing feat. This tangible link to a time past, is a remarkable quality for a product that also quenches thirst and keeps us healthy. Wine has been studied for millennia and attracts interest, not only from wine drinkers but historians alike. Without the systematic notation and record keeping efforts of the church, wine may well have bumbled alongside humanity with little advancement, lucky for us, this is not the case.
Whether it can fix our hearts or is somehow aligned with divinity will always be something untouchable; these are discussion points to help us understand wine has a more significant role to play in our lives. The most incredible quality of wine is the intimate relationship it forms with its consumer. It is the memory of its taste that can keep you awake at night. It is the look over the rim of a glass when you catch your companion's eye as the magic in the glass casts a spell of immovable smiles, it is the physiological and incalculable quality of wine that elevates it from being just a drink and that make it truly special. The exquisite and singular sense of pleasure derived from wine is equalled only by the joy taken from the search for more of the same.
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