Introduction

This wiki began as a home for my integrated thoughts from across the many fields I've dabbled in over the years--philosophy, history, food studies, leadership, economics, politics, sociology, education, and intercultural development. I use it now as a place for my wine studies, having just begun the first in a series of courses on wine education. Perhaps this wiki will grow into those other areas at some point, but for now, I hope it helps distill down some key ideas in winemaking, wine culture, and wine appreciation for you, as it has for me.

Why does wine matter?

I savor wine for its taste, alcohol, and ability to solicit conversation from friends, of course. But in a deeper sense, I very much appreciate how wine opens the door for us--as social beings--to engage interculturally, to feel connected with each other through conversation but also with the places and peoples who produced the wine, the foods they can accompany, and the mind and body in a very visceral way. Wine celebrates commensality--the act of drinking (and eating, and being) together as humans.

Good wine—as opposed to wine in general—is good because it provokes sociality. When you drink a good wine, you *want* to share it with others, to discuss it, to express how pleasurable or distinctive it is.

Subjectivity and Objectivity of Judgment

I'd argue that objectivity is impossible, given the inextricable state of our subjective perception and assessment of reality. That said, like many other media, wine can allow us to attune socially our subjective experiences to understand an idea as objectively as possible. Through reflection and conversation, we can share knowledge and learn more about the science that does, indeed, back up winemaking and wine appreciation. We can learn why we like what we like--why aesthetics is a useful concept, in short, and not just play for play's sake--and understand the biological, cultural, and philosophical structures that condition human pleasure and life.

“In the end, fine wines are compelling not because they are the same, but because they are different.” - Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible