Dionysus vs. Diogenes
... keeping
emotions separate from facts ...
Any
healthy, mature human can enjoy the sensual and psychic pleasures
of moderate wine drinking. It requires no knowledge or skills other
than bringing a glass to the lips and swallowing. The overall sensory
experience of wine can be transformed, however, from a simple pleasure
to a profound one, with just a bit of knowledge about how humans experience
"taste" and a basic understanding of the reasons wine can have so
many flavor variations.
When
I began to taste wines and noticed there are vast ranges of different
flavors that vary from brand to brand, type to type, year to year,
and region to region, I wanted to know WHY?
I
bought two books about wine, a hardcover and a paperback. Some of
the information contained in these two texts conflicted and the authors
seemed to contradict one another; I realized they were intermingling
their personal impressions with the facts. For my investigation, I
wanted the "Sgt. Joe Friday" wine book: "All we want are the facts, Ma'am."
I'll come to my own conclusions and separate the victims from the
suspects by the evidence, rather than the circumstances, thank you.
Thousands
of books and articles exist about wine. Some are excellent, some are
not. Wine is made through a combination of nature, science, and art.
There seems to be a tendency in wine writers to become emotionally
involved and let personal impressions of the art get commingled
with the facts of nature and science. Writers often tend to overly-romanticize when wine is their subject. Unconsciously, the writer
pits his internal Dionysus, the mythical god of wine and revelry,
against his internal Diogenes, the seeker of truth.
Most
"common wine knowledge" includes lots of myth and dogma,
passed along (even by "experts" and "authorities")
with neither explanation nor skepticism. This is somewhat understandable,
since the history of wine appreciation precludes the scientific study
of wine by millennia. Commercial and capital interests generally do
little to help correct the misunderstandings; they know it is easier
to sell the "sizzle" than the steak. It can also be said
that "tradition dies hard," and tradition can be exceptionally
resilient in the wine world.
And then there's the internet... tailor-made for the ADHD-afflicted, including writers and readers. The study of wine in its many styles and flavors is NOT simple; it involves many, many variables, deviations, and exceptions, and few, if any, cut-and-dry, all-inclusive rules. But the web is full of quick-and-dirty answers, where research and fact-checking often seem artifacts of the 21st Century... a place where the hucksters and hawkers have staged a coup and overthrown the scholars and librarians. Anyone can and does print anything they will, with no explanation or foundation, half-baked half-truths for half-wits... anything to make a sale or get a public audience. It's enough to make a serious journalist want to soak his cynicism in alcohol!
This
combination of romantic impression, myth, tradition, commercialization, and over-simplification results in many writings
about wine that are misleading and confusing to the reader, especially
the novice. The articles on this site are an attempt to supply that
very basic information on the subject of wine, trying to be as concise,
straightforward, and to-the-point as the subject matter allows. In
this WINE 101 section, I try to be emotionally detached and leave
my opinions out, allowing you to form your own. The CONSUMERISM section is somewhat less emotionally detached and the AFTERTASTE articles are purely advice and opinion.
Do
not expect to acquire instant wine expertise — not from reading all the
articles on this site or from any other online or in-print text on wine.
The basics to enjoyment are not difficult, but the learning curve
to wine expertise is also not as steep and difficult, as it is long, complex
and never-ending. And, although the destination is a moving target,
the journey is full of social interaction with interesting and enjoyable
people, visits
to beautiful locales, and many sensory pleasures along the way.
It
is also important to keep in mind that research is on-going. What
is known of the nature and science of wine has changed a great deal,
especially since the mid-1980s, and it should continue to do
so at an ever-increasing pace. Also, in case we fall behind, or you
have a question or an alternate take on the information presented
here, we also have a form for your Questions
(or comments). You may first want to look at some typical Wine
Q & A.
For
more detail involving various aspects of wine, there are some excellent
texts as
I mentioned earlier. My "Desert Island" wine book would have to be
The
Oxford Companion to Wine,
impeccably edited by Jancis Robinson. This encyclopedia-style reference
has contributions from the best authors, experts and scientists. Alternative choices are the venerable World Atlas of Wine, by Hugh Johnson, or Benjamin Lewin's excellent and scholarly Wine Myths and Reality
.
Any
mentions of brands or specific types of wine in this Wine 101 section
are only in the context of historical significance and not to be taken
as endorsements or recommendations. (Not that there's anything wrong
with that....! For specific wine evaluations, visit some of links
to Tasting Notes &
Wine Reviews, listed in our Aftertaste section.
Expertise
in any subject is earned through a combination of study and practice.
While mastering wine appreciation is no exception, it certainly
doesn't seem much like work; so, if you expect to become a wine expert,
keep on studyin' and keep on tastin'. My
own journey for wine knowledge began over forty years, many books,
and very many bottles ago and the end is (thankfully) not yet in sight. Cheers!
Jim
LaMar
