The POINT of wine-drinking

Sure - it´s not (officially) to get drunk -

• but for me (personally) it´s the pleasure to enjoy wines in their perfect drinking window (as far as possible) … and a certain satisfaction
  a) to purchase and cellar, and
  b) to determine the optimal moment to open it … and that requires certain knowledges and experiences about wines and their developement -
  and it´s kind of a satisfaction for me if I succeed and wines I open are really “singing” - -

In my opinion it´s neither (and that´s a bit provocative)
a sign of great knowledge and sophistication to receive a delivery - and immediately pop a bottle out of curiosity -
nor to drink up a case of young (and generally ageworthy wine) in a months´s time “just because it´s so good now!” -
also not to (impatiently) empty a case of wine … only to have to admit afterwards that all bottles were far too young.
(ok, not better to drink wines too late either - )

“Drinking wine” (on a certain cultural level) is a bit different to simply pop a bottle of beer and (meant in the traditional sense) is a lifestyle that also needs (self-)education, self-control, patience, sophistication and intellectual preparation.

Sure it´a also simply a source of hedonistic pleasure - and it has an important social fuction (I love to enjoy wines in great company) - I would never deny that.

I wouldn´t be surprised if many people here disagree heavily with me.

I think if this is why you drink wine and how it makes you feel, great. Others with a larger cellar, more disposable income and less time may simply enjoy drinking when and what they can, regardless of consequence and without guilt or shame.

Building a nice cellar is a great luxury and does require patience and can be a source of pride, particularly when shared with those we love. Cheers.

I agree both with Robert and Ron … I always let my bottles age until (I think) good maturity … but it´s obvious that many people drink them far earlier … and to each and everybody his/her own taste …

It has also to be said that drinking/serving certain wines is also sometimes a matter of prestige (often in Asia nowadays) - and people often do care more about a prestigious label … and less about maturity of certain vintages.

I regret it - but (see above) …

For me the point of drinking wine is taste, pleasure and camaraderie. Wine is fascinating because it has such a broad range of flavors and aromas. More than any other liquid I know.

For me – after 35 years of tasting and drinking wine - the most fun is to find an widely unknown producer who makes wonderful wine to a fair price.

I wish everybody commercial success. But todays prices of certain wines are absurd. We always should have in mind that nobody has higher production costs than 12 Euros / 15 Dollars per bottle. The price exaggerations we see so often these days, the speculation, the fraud – all these dark sides of wine and capitalism – depress me sometimes. But a good bottle of a Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner, Heger Pinot Blanc, Marsannay, Cru Bourgeoise Bordeaux or something like that from a good producer and vintage bring back the enjoyment.

1. To have or to amplify an aesthetic experience.
2. To commemorate celebratory occasions
3. (Really down the rabbit hole) the pursuit of epistemic knowledge within viticulture at large

Oh boy. Now we’re going to bring out the New World (seems it’s always them) wine owners saying “don’t we deserve to make money?” and how it’s unrealistic to deny them a decent living at our expense.

I think the point of wine should be several-fold: to ‘gladden the heart’ as the Bible says; to make merry as the Medieval kings made; to make us curious; to whet the whistle; to pair with food; and of course, to convive with friends and acquaintances.

Hi Robert
I do also get enjoyment out of cellaring wines, which I tend to see as: The effort put in to cellar them, is hopefully repaid when the bottles are opened.

I’m not seeking an ‘optimum’ drinking window, especially as with still the majority under cork, it’s a moving target (two bottles opened on the same evening, and one may be OTH and the other a little young still).

Getting back to the question, for me the point of wine drinking is to enjoy the wine, choosing one that goes well with food, mood, guests. If that’s a ‘pop n pour’ the same day a case arrives, as long as it works well, I’m cool with that.

The getting drunk / needing alcohol thing is somewhere I DON’T want to be with wine. Whilst working away from home a few years ago, the drinks easily available were rather commercial / mass-produced, be that beers, ciders or wine. I chose water instead, as those drinks wouldn’t interest me, so to drink them would be drinking them solely for the alcohol. Instead I could appreciate a nice bottle or two over the weekend when back at home.

“To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower, to hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour…”

This line from William Blake summarizes my point of drinking wine.

I think the point of wine should be several-fold: to ‘gladden the heart’ as the Bible says; to make merry as the Medieval kings made; to make us curious; to whet the whistle; to pair with food; and of course, to convive with friends and acquaintances.

And what Jürgen said - taste, pleasure and camaraderie.

More specifically, why must there be any “point”? I drink it because I like it, with no regard whatsoever to making a point for myself or for others. I don’t care if people drink their wines at ages I consider to young or too old, and I care even less what they think of me for the wines I may happen to drink and for the times I drink them. If you enjoy it, go for it, whenever that moment is, with or without food or company. Sometimes a glass all by yourself is just fine.

Pretty much my sentiments.

This applies to some of my other pursuits like, for instance, skiing. Enjoy the camaraderie but am perfectly content to go my own way enjoying it solo

Drinking wine is to enhance your life.

I drink wine so that my minions have an ample supply of corks for their crazy projects.

I’m helpful that way.

For me, what is important and exciting is to choose a wine which will be appreciated by the persons with whom I will drink it.
To observe their astonishment and their pleasure is important for me.
It is understandable because generally I open wines that not many people have in their cellar.
And when some people think “he wants to impress us”, generally they are no more invited as they do not understand my vision.

Robert,
You are interested in drinking a wine at the very best moment of its maturity.
My personal “trip” is to experience a wine in all the different vintages that I can find in order to know better the history of this wine.

Every one has his own strategy.

I am in the same camp as Jurgen and Faryan, pleasure, camaraderie, combined with intellecutal curiosity and, occasionally if it’s a truly great wine, being emotionally moved.

As to Jurgen’s point, I see your point on cost of wine. Its tough to pin down the true cost, as the best growers work lot harder in the vineyard: not using tractor, hand harvesting, organic, better canopy management, and picking row by row based on when to harvest and work in the cellar etc…

But I agree, theres no rational justification to pay up more than say $100 for a bottle of wine…especially when in numerous blind tastings yield results where price and personal preference don’t correlate.

I appreciate your pursuit of the sublime via wine drinking but, for the sake of having a little fun…



Blake also hung around naked in his garden for tea, and said, “You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.”

Wine is what I drink for myself. I started to investigate wine seriously 15-20 years ago, to have something to say in my better half’s work party set. Many of them were heavy into wine and they always brought bottles and had what seemed like a friendly rivalry. Some even bought a plot and were making and bottling their own. I spent way too much time worrying if the bottles I brought were worthy and remember taking too much pride at the first bottle that seemed to get some notice. After awhile though, I found that the wines they were bringing were out of my league financially. I also wasn’t having much fun with these people and my fun friends drink beer. But I found I really enjoyed something in wine that I don’t get in beer or Liquor. A story. One that I cannot hear in a bar with friends. For me, Wine is my quiet contemplative time. Time to wonder how this liquid can smell like this when I open it and like that a half hour later. And the changes in flavor from one moment to the next and with this cheese or that sauce or this poached fish. I stopped trying to fit in and found my palate. But it is a bit lonely as even my better half finds wine stuffy and boring. Whiskey is for being social. I don’t drink much beer because I don’t like the volume, so when out with friends I am an neat whiskey or cocktail drinker. Beer is a pick-up football game that I am getting too old for. Cocktails are city streets bright and shiny and sometimes dangerous. Wine is a road trip that I am taking by myself.

How well stated. And you chose the less traveled road, and that has made all the difference.

A big part of the wine experience for me is more about others. Sure I enjoy that magical bottle when all the stars align. But I have visited many wineries and vineyards and have a great appreciation for the places and people that create wines. I love to hear their stories whether its about the vineyards, wine making or how they got into it. It is hard to separate that from my enjoyment of wine and I am glad to be able to support those with such passion.

I drink wine so I can post on wine berserkers.

this