00 - Forewords: Stop and Smell the Wine
What is wine? Seems like a very basic question now with so many resources available out there. One can easily type the word “wine” into any search engine and start reading. It is fermented grape juice, how complicated can it be? Becoming an expert in wine does not sound so hard does it? Just read and drink right? If that were true, why aren’t there more wine experts in the world?
We are really dealing with the reality and honestly the cruelty of human nature. The way of the world that has shaped up to be over thousands of years. Since the existence of humanity, it has been about survival of the fittest; ironically, it is also about the survival of the easiest. In simpler terms, this really translates to: The shortest ways to reach success is the best way to survive and thrive. General public will always flock to those paths that are the easiest to understand, the easiest to make money, and the easiest to satisfy desires. This explains why anything with the title that has “Beginners”, “ Introductory”, “Quick” and the likes are always the best sellers in any field. This is the reality: people want shortcuts. This also allows businesses exploit that mentality to profit. Many people settle for mediocrity; frankly, there is nothing wrong with that. It is Economics 101 - supply, demand, and utility.
Wine is one of those subjects that have low barrier to entry for basic understanding but it is infinitely deep and vast in scope. I observed for years that consumers chase after big brands and cheap/value buys and let that be the end of it. Anything with high scores on them must “definitely” taste better!? They are satisfied by the act of drinking, that alcohol induced temporary escape, and the vanity from having a bottle with any association to prestigiousness. In the beginning, I was like that. I was very happy to have brought a bottle of very inexpensive but massively popular Australian Shiraz to dinner parties - because it is a well-known brand and very approachable. I did not know any better just like many others. I have also seen people drinking Johnny Walker Green and Blue Label directly from the bottle, brag about drinking Hennessy XO like water - really painful to watch. Came across this young couple buying half case of recent vintage Haut-Brion and Carruades de Lafite for dinner party serving mainly sushi. When I told them that for the very similar price, 10 year old Les Fortes de Latour may be better choice in comparison, they told me that their guests only know about Lafite. Heard a lady quoting Jancis Robinson’s (whom I highly respect) scores for the only rationale for getting 1st Growths Bordeaux for daily consumption - or bashing a lessor vintage of the same wine. It was even more painful to see sales people oblige to that demand (both happily or regrettingly) because of business requirements. One of the very first things these sales people would do is quoting high scores, but actually have never tried the wines themselves. Wine has fallen victim to general consumerism. Billions of bottles worldwide have not been properly appreciated the way they were intended to.
With this appreciation series, I am attempting to tackle the same topics with a different perspective. I know that the world will always be the way it has been for thousands of years and nothing I write will change that. However, if this series can help equipping even one person with real passion to embark on the lifelong journey of appreciating finer things in life, then it will be my greatest honour and motivation to provide you with my take on the subject. Real connosseurship will only come after having deep understanding and appreciation for the classics as well as endless and passionate pursuits for the exciting and new - with some harmless snobbery for entertainment.