1 December 2006
Wine is land and life
“I like to think about the life of wine… How it’s a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it’s an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.” -Maya, Sideways (2004)
The quote above I think summarizes very well my fascination with wine, my constant desire to learn about it, explore it, taste it, and share it. It is a concept/idea/connection that I think can be difficult to explain and that is most likely questioned or even doubted due to the new world taboo toward alcohol.
Nevertheless, wine is land and it is life, and it is not new by any means. “Tinto” is found documented in biblical parables and even in Greek mythology, Dionysus was a god of wine. Jesus transformed water to wine. And to extend wine as an archetype for life, we cannot forget the Last Supper where Jesus transformed the wine to be celebrated into His blood. Whether or not you are Catholic or believe in such miracles or events does not matter in this context; the historical weight and emphasis on wine as a fountain for life matters.
OK, enough serious talk.
I love wine, I love the entire creation process, I love the complex aging process, and, quite simply, I love the taste! I find this concoction to be the perfect partner to appreciating music and creating music, hence my Tinto Records. It is the natural marriage between the fruit of the land and the people that tend the land, the culture that nurtures the wine also celebrates with song and celebrates together. Each is an influence on the other.
This is especially under-appreciated in the United States, and whenever I want to investigate a special bottle, it is not uncommon to be thought of as a “wine-snob”. Ever been there? I’m sure! So I don’t like Yellow Tail, a big corporate mass-producer. Maybe I doubt its connection and appreciation for the drink it creates. I mean, how connected would you feel in Florence, Italy if you stayed in a Ramada Inn instead of a quaint villa or even a hostel? Furthermore, a great house wine in Italy is commonly cheaper than water! “Snobiness” is an unfortunate cult of wine and seemingly exclusively in North America.
We are here to change that and to give wine the non-snobby appreciation that is often overlooked. I want to talk about different curiosities, trends, and experiences with wine (and I will here). I dream to be able to make my own some day, but for now, visit my Cork’d profile, add me as your buddy, share great adventures, and most importantly, share the love with the people that count.
-Nico
Here’s what I can share so far…
- K&L Wines (klwines.com) – retail wine store I fell in love with when I lived in the SF bay area.
- Cork’d (corkd.com) – Web 2.0 wine journal, cellar, and wishlist keeper and more (add me as your buddy)
- Wine Library TV (tv.winelibrary.com) – simply awesome – Gary knows what I’m talking about!
“To me, it’s a way – quite possibly the most pleasurable way – of understanding history, experiencing culture, and exalting in cuisine… There’s wine itself, an endless treasure trove of fascination. Wine is the only beverage in the world that draws us in intellectually, causes us to think about it, to ponder it, to question why it tastes the way it does.” -Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible, Workman Publishing – New York, 2001
I used to think that you were a “wine snob”, but then I guess I became a “wine snob” and started to look to you as a wealth of information about wine.
The question remains, when are heading back to Chateau Wine Market?
— Amit Dec 1 #
For a person that never drinks (alcohol that is), I’m amazed how fascinated one can be with a drink. Well, at least that’s how I used to think. After reading your article above, I can certainly appreciate what wine has to offer, even though I may not enjoy it for myself. I especially like the paragraph that starts, “I love wine…” I think it captures your love and appreciation for wine quite well!
— Asad Dec 1 #
The quality that I first loved about you was how passionate you were about your family and music. Then I was blessed to be one of your loves. Now seeing your love for wine develop only makes me love you more. I hope to share these passions with you throughout our lives together.
— Steph Dec 2 #