Despite recent news that wine has become the number one social drink in the western world, it’s pretty clear that in general, most consumers know very little on the subject.
Drinking wine has been part of human consciousness ever since day one of human existence. Wine is a very old product whose origins merge into the origins of civilisation itself. The history of wine is inseparable from that of humankind. According to archaeologists, the oldest wine casket comes from the Neolithic period (8500-4000 B.C). Perhaps that’s when the consciousness of human beings started to reason, beginning with poetry and philosophy.
Several archaeological records as well as ancient references and writings have proved that wine-making in Cyprus is an ancient tradition. In fact, archaeological findings indicate that Cyprus was the first Mediterranean country to produce wine 6,000 years ago. Homer speaks of the excellent quality of Cyprus wines, and Stassinos, the author of the “Cyprus Epic Songs”, writes how the Cypriot sweet wine (nowadays called Commandaria) was produced. The first reference to Cypriot wine in the Bible is in Solomon’s “Song of Songs” 1:14 “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of Cyprus grapes in the vineyards of Engadi”. The Pharaohs of Egypt, as well as the ancient Greeks and Romans, all imported Cypriot wines. An old Cypriot chalice of the 6th century BC recommended its user to “be happy and drink well,” signifying the quality of wine in Cyprus . Mosaics discovered in ancient sites on the island bear witness to the importance of Cyprus grapes and the wines they produced.
In modern times, despite the fact that Cypriots have a long tradition in cultivating grapes and making wine, the knowledge of the contemporary Cypriot in this field is relatively limited compared with other European wine-producing countries. This raises the obvious question of whether and, if so, to what extent, knowing about wine plays any role in the production and quality, or even whether it is necessary for appreciation and enjoyment.
Knowledge is the act of learning which is gained through experience or education. Knowledge is one thing – understanding is another. Understanding means confidence on a subject with the ability to use it for a specific purpose, if appropriate. Understanding is very different, even though it actually derives from knowledge. Obviously, most of us can taste without understanding the physiological mechanisms involved. However, it is always good to acquire knowledge about anything you’re interested.
Acquiring knowledge about wine is important, since if you are educated on the subject while drinking, this might add to your understanding and appreciation of the wine. Undoubtedly, there are all sorts of practical benefits to knowing about wine, even if you are not a winemaker, wine seller, sommelier, wine writer, or wine critic. Knowledge and experience help you decide which wines to try, which wines to buy, and which wines to serve with which foods, as well as the ability to recognize tainted, oxidized, or otherwise flawed wines. Much of this knowledge provides pleasure of its own, thanks to the fact that there is so much to learn, and that so much about it is interesting.
Being clued up about wine is very practical, such as knowing how to store and how to serve it. Practical knowledge is obviously valuable when it comes to choosing what wines to buy, deciding when to open them, and choosing which one to have with a particular dish. This requires knowing at least roughly what the wine should taste like. When you’re drinking a fine wine, it’s nice to know what kinds of grapes went into it, where it came from and when, who made it and how.
Knowing what you drink is based on knowing how to taste. Learning how to taste teaches you not only how to perceive with your senses, but how to interpret those perceptions. Surely, the pleasure in drinking a wine is enhanced by some knowledge of the range of aromas and flavours that similar wines are capable of. And the more familiar you are with other wines, especially similar ones, the more you can appreciate what (if anything) is special about the one you currently taste. No one would argue with that. But even though there’s a big difference between the pleasure of pursuing and acquiring knowledge about wine and the pleasure of drinking wine itself, the two can of course go together. Having such knowledge about a wine while drinking might add to your understanding and appreciation, but one can argue whether such knowledge actually adds anything to your pleasure while drinking the wine. Can it make the wine taste better, or otherwise add to the experience?
Of course, in wine there is a level of enjoyment that is open to all, irrespective of experience. We have an innate preference for some flavour cues. Many wines have some sweetness of fruit that is appealing to novices, and certain successful popular styles of wine focus on providing simple, accessible, fruity flavours. People also appreciate wine for its intoxicating properties. Let us call this wine’s “hedonic” appeal. But there are two further levels of appreciation that can be teased out, which only come with experience and learning, although it is likely that for most of us, this separation is a rather artificial one; in reality, our appreciation of wine probably results from a seamless fusion of all three levels.
However, as we learn about wine in general – the history, geography, grape varieties, winemaking practices, and differences between producers and so on – and as we face each new glass, the different aspects of the sensory experience take on a fresh meaning. We attend to the process of tasting more carefully; we understand the significance of the various aromas and flavours, the structure and the texture. We begin to develop our own “culture” of wine by a process of exploration and benchmarking.
The best way to make wines taste better is to taste better wines! Ignorance can keep you from knowing what wines to drink, but it can’t keep you from enjoying good ones when they’re put in front of you. Knowing how to taste obviously helps, and in appreciating wine, there’s no substitute for experience at tasting. Most wine drinkers, no matter what their level of knowledge and sophistication may be, are on a similar path of evolving understanding. Each mouthful whose flavours and aromas we drink, each bottle label we unconsciously imprint in our memory, each line-item on a wine list that we select for the evening’s meal, is another volume in our own library of experience, and determines how we will experience the next. The more wine we drink and the more we learn, the better context we have to evaluate (or enjoy) every future glass. Really tasting wine adds an extra dimension to the basic daily routines of eating and drinking. It turns obligation into pleasure, a daily necessity into a celebration of life.
Wine is much more than a commodity or just a food. It contributes to sophisticated dining, enhances and facilitates social interaction, challenges the senses and the intellect, and makes glad the heart of moderate and well-balanced man or woman. Wine should be a friend for life. Wine evokes thoughts of friends and societal values. This is particularly true when combining responsible consumption with food and family.
In the early 20th century, the British writer D. H. Lawrence complained: “We have lost the art of living, and in the most important science of all – the science of daily life – we are completely ignorant.” Wine is so much a part of culture, just as art is a part of culture. Since wine is interwoven with history, politics, religion, geography, art, science, sociology and other fields, there’s hardly any topic that can’t be used to get back to talking about wine.
Life can be lived in a casual way, or plumbed to the depths. We all choose how and where to spend our energy and attention. You may play music, cook seriously, and take care of a lovely garden. Maybe the things you love aren’t vital, but they make life richer. Passion is never wasted effort. There is culture in wine. It can be found in the ritual of drinking it, appreciating the craft of the winemaker, and in the wine’s stimulation to our taste buds.
The beauty of wine is that every bottle is different, which makes it fun to keep exploring all the wonderful surprises the world’s wine regions have to offer. This is the best way to understand your own personal tastes and to gain confidence in them, because no one knows your taste like you do.
Certainly, many of us find that a nice bottle of wine can give some social occasions a gentle nudge in the right direction. Wine means tradition, culture, health, coexistence, sharing enjoyable experiences. It would be nice to see data on how many meals, parties and other social gatherings are improved every day by the addition of a nice glass of wine! We don't yet measure wine’s contribution to world happiness.
Unlike many modern foods, wine’s attractions rely not on bold consistent flavours, but upon a subtle array of shifting sensations that make its charm difficult to define. Today, wine is an integral component of the culture of many countries, a form of entertainment in others, and a libation of choice for advocates of its health benefits. Globalization and the accompanying rapid worldwide access to information is gradually leading towards a more knowledgeable and empowered consumer with a more sophisticated understanding of product value and a discriminating demand for quality. The control of the definition of quality will eventually be shifted to the consumer. In essence, wine producers are selling a sensory experience to the consumer.
Wine consumers in developed nations are typically prosperous, but wine is also consumed in impoverished areas where it is still safer to drink than the local water supply. Regardless of the region in which the wine is produced or the economic status of the consumer, all wines are expected to be pleasant experiences for the imbiber. It’s not like Pepsi or Coke that’s made in million-gallon vats and every bottle tastes the same.
When the corporate winemakers of the world begin to make wines all in the same way, designing them to offend the least number of people, wine will no doubt lose its fascinating appeal and individualism to become no better than most brands of whiskey, gin, scotch, or vodka. One must not forget that the great appeal of wine is that it is a unique, distinctive, fascinating beverage and different every time one drinks it.
Winemaking technology has changed greatly over the last three decades, and perhaps most importantly new techniques have enabled the development of new wine styles – in particular, fresh, fruit-driven characteristics which simply weren’t possible before.
Finally, personal taste, which is infinitely variable, is the key determinant of when a wine is at its best. Some people like the fruity freshness of young wines, while others prefer the darker complexity of older wines. Where along the curve of a wine’s evolution you prefer to drink your wines is a question only you can answer, based on your own experience.
In addition to a product that is enjoyable in all sensory aspects, consumers expect wines to be healthful and produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. In the future, these last two factors will become increasingly important economic drivers of profitability.
Wine, because it is affected by many factors such as the weather, is different every year. Wine is not meant to be enjoyed for its own sake; it is the key to love and laughter with friends, to the enjoyment of food, beauty and humour and art and music. Its rewards are far beyond its cost.
It is up to the consumer to discourage bad winemaking. The quality of wine will improve when consumers make up their minds to drink better wine. Concluding this short essay on the contribution of consumer knowledge to the quality of the wine, let us remember the saying: “The wine you drink is the wine you deserve”. This applies to all countries and nations, Cypriots included.
Wine News and Information
Scientists are currently developing an electronic tongue that is set to be more reliable and sophisticated than the human palate. According to research reports from Spain , a device is already able to tell the difference between certain grape varieties and vintages. Using tiny synthetic membranes, each sensitive to different chemical components in a wine, the e-tongue can already distinguish the differences between wines of different grape varieties. It can also tell whether the same wine is from older vintages. The device works in the same way as the human tongue and is sensitive to sweet, salty, sour, acidic, and savoury (umami) tastes. It could be used to detect frauds committed regarding the vintage year of the wine, or the grape varieties used.
The Robotongue, a machine first made by a Brazilian scientist in Sao Carlos , is a device so sensitive it can discern different vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon from the same producer, and different producers of the same vintage.
It is said to rival human taste buds, with the great advantage that it never tires – unlike humans whose palates become saturated. Taste buds are believed to contain receptors that are triggered by flavour-imparting molecules, an area that is still only partially understood. The electronic tongue works on the same principle. It uses chemical sensors to measure different tastes, producing an electronic “fingerprint” which can then be assessed, recorded and presented as data. The electronic tongue should be of practical use to the wine industry, especially for producers who seek consistency year by year in their blends. The electronic tongue, reports Nature magazine, will be invaluable for companies needing accurate and constant quality control of wine, tea, coffee, mineral water and other foods.
In a number of countries, winemakers are packing their bottles with artificial additives that reduce wine to an “alcoholic cola”, according to an investigation. In some cases, producers use water, sugar and sometimes hydrochloric acid to ensure their wine has a uniform taste and consistency.
Research into the quality of the 1.5 billion bottles consumed in Britain has also cast doubt on the reputation of Champagne , with one expert suggesting that 70% was not worth the premium price. Malcolm Gluck, author of The Great Wine Swindle, said: “Many, many wines are no better than a sort of alcoholic cola. You get artificial yeasts, enzymes, sugar, extracts, tannins, all sorts of things added.”
Some of the most well-known new world brands use milk and enzymes to make the wine less cloudy and ensure that the wine tastes the same from one batch to the next. More than 60 Beaujolais producers are being taken to court, accused of disguising low-quality grapes with excessive amounts of sugar. In Italy , 70 million litres were seized and found to comprise just 20% wine, the remainder being water, sugar and ingredients such as acid and fertiliser, used to boost the alcohol content to achieve a higher price. Furthermore, an investigation found traces of fungicide in leading Champagne brands, and discovered that experts struggled to distinguish between a £6.99 sparkling wine and a Champagne three times the price.
Monolithos Monthly News
October is the end of the harvest season in the area of Pachna and the time that vineyard preparation for the winter begins. At Monolithos, grape skins collected after pressings are mulched and put aside to use as fertilizer in the vineyard. By the end of the autumn, the leaves start to fall and eventually shoots become stick-like and lose their green internal fleshiness. By December, the vines are ready to be safely cut back for the winter season.
At present, the tanks are full of fermented must. October is the time when racking off lees takes place in the winery. This way, dead yeast constituents such as protein metabolites, amino acids and hydrogen sulphide are prevented from producing unwanted extractions. In red wine, there is a large quantity of seeds in the lees and if not removed for a long time, the wine will become strong in tannins. Minimal filtration is also considered at this time, but only as needed to preserve the wine’s natural integrity.
The winery is always ready to welcome visitors. So if at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. Regards from all of us here at Monolithos and always remember:
“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine”.
Thomas Aquinas
