It hit me really hard one night. It wouldn't have been so bad had I been on an early morning vineyard walk or reading in a hotel room, but it happened during dinner in a busy restaurant. I'd had my share of Riesling (including some from the 2022 vintage, about which, read on), but it was finally catalyzed by the glass of Henrik Möbitz Spätburgunder that I had in front of me.
Richard handed the book to me and said, “I think you should read this". The first time that this happened I found myself holding Baudelaire's Paris Spleen, and thus in the 15 years hence I've never declined his literary recommendations. This time, the book was Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization, written by a UBC Philosopher named Edward Slingerland. It's a fascinating and engaging read, and its brilliant message couldn't be more timely.
Wine's age of innocence is over. Admittedly, I'm too young to have experienced it, but I caught enough glimpses of it early in my career to recognize its continuing decline. I long for simpler times, and embrace every facet of wine—as a drink and an industry—that reinforces its beauty and integrity.
