Vintner Views – February '07

The Romance of Wine

   Wine is the most romantic beverage in the world, but why?  Is it the intoxicating effect of the alcohol?  Is it the way wine can transport you to another place and time?  Is it the risk and anticipation of the unknown?  Let’s ponder and explore together.

   Wine works on all of the five senses, so clearly it’s very sensual.  First, listen to the sound of the cork coming out of the bottle, then the gurgle of the first glasses poured.  Next, the color and clarity of the wine stimulate your visual system as your eyes caress the curves of the glass and the light passing through and reflecting off of it.  Then your sense of smell kicks into gear as you swirl, inhale deeply, and carefully explore the depths of the wine’s soul.  Search for the smells.  Is it extremely aromatic, or modestly so?  Does it have tropical fruit notes, or more along the lines of citrus and melons?  Perhaps it’s earth and leather.  You never really know until you ask the questions and answer them for yourself.

   Once you’ve fully experienced the aromas, it’s time to taste a little bit, like the first kiss.  How does it feel?  Chew on it and move it around in your mouth.  Is it grippy and tart?  Is it soft and supple?  Is it steely and gruff?  Get to know it.  After you swallow, what happens in your mouth?  Does it make you want more? Does it have integrity?  Does it echo its first impressions?  Does it slip away quickly and without notice in the dark, or does it linger, confident and bold?  On the dark side, it may want to stick around when you’d rather it didn’t, so beware!  Mind you, we’re talking about the wine.

   Wine is poetry in a bottle.  It tells you something about a time and a place possibly far removed from the present.  Old wine is particularly interesting because not only is it an expression of its birthplace and time, but also how it’s been treated over the years.  Is it well preserved, possessing elegance and grace alongside its fragility, or has it seen too many troubles?  Perhaps it was stored carelessly where temperature fluctuations or sunlight broke down the structure that gives wine staying power.

   Wines, like people, have character and a life cycle.  Their conception is mysteriously hidden in the depths of the vine buds.  They gestate in the vineyard for a growing season, and are born by fermentation at the winery.  Their infancy and childhood are spent in the cellar and they graduate to adolescence at bottling.  From there, some are best enjoyed in their youth of a year or two, while others don’t really mature for 15 or possibly 30 years.  Some of us are late bloomers.

   Wine is like love in many ways.  You never know what you’re going to get.  There’s an element of the unknown.  There’s an eagerness tempered by angst.  Will the two of you get along well?  Is there something interesting and unique there, something to keep you intrigued?  Is there a synergy, something greater than the sum of the parts?  In the end, either you like it well enough to go back for more, or you don’t and you’ll search for something else.  In the meantime, don’t forget to savor the journey.   Cheers:  to a day filled with love and wine.

This article appeared in the February 14, 2007 edition of the Grand Junction Free Press.

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