Questions of Taste:
Is there such a thing as a Philosophy of Wine?
Is there, or should there be, a philosophy of wine? Should I, as a wine writer, be concerning myself with wine philosophy? The more I thought about it, the more I realised there was no such thing. And yet, if not a 'philosophy', there is, lurking in the background, something which more prosaically but more honestly I will call the imperatives which govern how I go about my business of being a wine-writer. Call them guiding principles if you like. Or a modus vivendi. They can be summarised as follows: Love, Belief, Celebration and Transmission.
Love really means passion. A fascination with the historical background, the inexorability of terroir, the inevitable economic constraints, and the personalities and philosophies of the people responsible. In short, an attempt to understand and explain to the reader the relationship between land, grape variety and wine-maker. It hardly needs to be said that all this arises from a deep love of wine and its constant complexity and variety. What could be more exciting than a new vintage to assess every year?
Belief boils down to self-belief; a confidence that after more than 40 years one has begun to understand something. That, with this experience, one can differentiate not only between the good and the elegant and the bad and the coarse, but one can separate the sincere from the false and the manipulated from the honest, the pure and the true. From this should come a determination not to accept second best (there is nothing elitist about this!), not to succumb to fashion, and to have the courage to point out that from time to time the emperor is not wearing any clothes.
Celebrate! Go out and spread the gospel! From the least to the greatest, wine is, or should be, the most delicious and food-friendly beverage of all as well as a great aperitif and digestif. It doesn't have to cost a bomb. So, go forth and enthuse the public. Be entertaining while you are about it. There is nothing more off-putting than being boring. Persuade people to be adventurous, to drink wine more regularly, and to have the courage of their own convictions.
Transmission is a duty. When Anthony Barton thanked his uncle Roland for having bestowed responsibility for his vineyards on him, Roland immediately pointed out that Anthony only had the properties in trust for the next generation. Those of us who know a little about wine have inevitably been taught by others, and it is our duty to pass this knowledge and experience on to the next generation. We are today's mentors. So we must be generous with our time and old bottles. We must be patient. In this case we do suffer fools gladly. It is immensely rewarding to come across someone – and it doesn't matter if they are professional or amateur - who you realise, instinctively almost, does have the 'knack' with wine. These people should be encouraged fifty times over.
But, enough of this, I hear you say. And, yes, you are right. Go and cook a nice meal, open a bottle of good wine. And enjoy it. That's what it's all about.