 The pleasures and passion associated with sharing a decent bottle of wine transcend international boundaries. For some nationalities, wine has been a way of life since time immemorial - a simple pleasure to be celebrated in moderate amounts, on a daily basis. Take, for example, the wine growing regions of France, Italy or Spain, where youngsters are brought up to enjoy a glass or two, at mealtimes. Here, there is nothing mysterious, sophisticated or even decadent about being passionate about the simple pleasures of drinking wine.
Even in countries such as China, not particularly noted for its enjoyment of the oldest fermented beverage known to mankind, a “cultural revolution” is slowly but surely taking place. Referring to Chinese wine consumption, Robin Birch, marketing manager for the wine publication Cape Mentelle points out that in China: “Although wine is not part of a daily mealtime ritual, there is no doubt that knowledge and appreciation is growing”.
Isn’t it strange, therefore, that we in Britain have, until recently, been so reluctant to latch on to the idea that wine consumed in healthy amounts can significantly enhance our quality of life? But, let’s face it, passion about anything remotely indulgent tends not sit comfortably on the shoulders of the British population. Bacchanalian pleasures - for pleasures’ sake - don’t come naturally to a nation of reluctant revellers. There are those who argue that we have to work hard at enjoying ourselves; admitting to simple pleasure such as drinking wine doesn’t come easy.
Of course, there have always been those stalwarts amongst us who are prepared to extol the virtues of the vine, without reservation. But why, I ask, has it taken the rest of the nation so long to follow suit? Perhaps it has something to do with the natural reserve of people from cooler climes, or maybe just a reluctance to display one’s ignorance about the complexities of the grape.
Unlike our European friends, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that we witnessed a huge upsurge of interest in quaffing wine as part of our everyday lifestyle, in Britain. Until then, it had been more of a trickle; a mysterious pastime enjoyed by the few.
But, at long last, things are very different and we have a lot of catching up to do. As the definitive wine expert, Jancis Robinson, explains: “In Western countries, wine now enjoys the same sort of respectability and passion as, say, opera and fine art, as a leisure interest. Hundreds of thousands of new recruits to the pleasures of fermented grape juice have emerged”.
Our new-found passion for imbibing wine has been fuelled by several factors, not least availability and a more relaxed attitude to wining and dining in general. Moreover, modern diners know what they like to eat and what wines they like to drink with their choice of cuisine. Above all, today’s punters have acquired a real taste for a glass or two of the stuff, at mealtimes, in a social settings and in the company of friends. Drinking wine is now part of the British way of life. And, if we’re reasonably sensible about the whole business, we can also relish the fact that we stand to benefit from the many health-giving benefits to be derived from imbibing wine and red wine in particular.
Nowadays, as a nation, we have become comfortable with the notion that wine is there to be enjoyed; and that there is no such thing as the right wine or the wrong wine. Ultimately, in the words of Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises): "All I want out of wines is to enjoy them”. So, let’s raise a glass to that sentiment!
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