Staying alone at times gets on you. But in this age we have got technology to our rescue. So in an early morning bout of loneliness I found my self chatting with ChatGPT voice version. And it provided me with the context I was looking for while drafting this blog post and which is : “Golf and wine are demanding mistresses, never satisfied with your attention”. This phrase conveys a sense of constant and insatiable nature of these pursuits.
In fact this term was coined or rather used by one of my dear friend Parag Tripathi, in a mid session break during the WSET Level 3 course which we did together. I found it to be very pertinent.
Now although I have certainly tried my hand at Golf, but frankly this sport could never seduce me like an enchanting mistress. But wines, Ah that’s a different story altogether. It is surely an addictive quest.
Every wine lover would have his or her own reasons for for pursuing wine as an irresistible passion. As for me, as I look back at my wine journey, I can enumerate following five reasons for the world wines to be so captivating.
1. Wine – An Aspirational Drink. To start with, I feel wine is an aspirational drink. It has an allure of the proverbial “high life”. It’s something which, by and large, is still considered part of an elite lifestyle. And everyone wants a slice of exclusiveness and glamour associated with wines.
2. Wine and Food Pairing. Though some could ask that what’s the big deal about that? There may not be one but there surely lies a pleasurable deal in any good food – wine pairing.
Personally I experienced the same at an Italian Wine Dinner where I tasted a dish called “sea bass” which was paired with an Italian white wine. As the wine and the dish inter mingled in my mouth, something immensely pleasurable happened on my palate and the sensation went right on to my mind. It was the proverbial Eureka moment for me to be initiated into the world of the gastronomic delight of food – wine pairing. There has been no looking back since then.
3. Wine in Human History & Culture. Another fascinating thing is that through out the history of mankind, wine has been integrally intertwined with society, art, culture, economics, religion and other numerous aspects of human existence. And if you study wines as a subject, then you will find that it is also linked with science and even mathematics (if you’re counting your profits as a wine producer or a merchant).
4. Brotherhood of wines. Another bright side of wine is the camaraderie it generates. People whom you meet during a wine tasting or any other wine focussed event become your friends for life. Wine is a social lubricant, it encourages interaction and social bonding.
5. Every Wine tells a Story. Last but not the least, and certainly not as a cliche, every wine has a story to tell. The story of its terroir (means the place, environment and people associated with its production), the hard work and toil of people who make it, the history linked with it and so on. If you delve into these aspects then not only the wine experience becomes more pleasurable but it also adds greatly to the knowledge about the world we live in.
These were my reasons for loving wines. Do share your views too, on why you find wines so fascinating, in the comments box. Also read books on sustainable practices in vineyards and more available here. Use the code WINEGLITZ for a discount. Cheers!!