When you know the winemaker, or grape grower? Or both?
The simple answer for me is “Yes!”, or “Of course!”.
I equate this argument in many ways to people who say that food tastes better when they buy it direct from the farmer. There’s something natural about the connection made when you shake hands with or talk to the people who grew or processed your food. There’s a microscopic (and subliminal) bond between farmer and consumer – you inevitably trust that they are looking after you…and that they care about the products they have raised or grown.
I’m not going to go all spiritual, but there is something deeper in a bottle of wine than just crushed grapes and yeast (indeed in a recent, great review of Terry Theise’s book “Between the Wines”, Lesley Trites (@GirlonWine) quoted “we shouldn’t discount the more mystical aspects of the wine drinking experience.”). And that something is much more evident when you’ve touched the hands of those involved in the creation of the bottle contents.
Derek talks wine with Tastecampees
Is passion something you taste? I would argue it is. And although big, corporate processing plants would have you believe that they are in fact, still artisan, it is much more difficult to feel that connection when you can’t make that personal connection.
In a recent vein Sass Jordan recently had this to say to Brian Schmidt at Vineland Estates:
Taste the Love
Many people don’t realize how lucky we are here in Ontario. The industry is still small, and relatively new. But that won’t last forever. More and more people around the world are discovering the great wines made here in Ontario…and one day it might be difficult to walk into the winery and see all the hands involved in the production of the wine. So before that happens, why not hit the road one weekend and check out the wineries that are nearby? And I just happen to know where you can find a free app to help you find the wineries nearest to you. 🙂
So what do you think? Does meeting the owner, winemaker and/or the grape grower improve the sensation taste, or experience of the wine you are drinking?