Recently, I’ve been trying to cut down on the trash college drinking and go for something a little more classy since I’m graduating shortly, so I’ve tried to get into wine culture. I want to learn more about wine, pairings, the process, and what to look for in a good wine, so I’ve been trying an assortment of brands, types, and blends. Entering any new hobby/ sphere of hobbyists is daunting, but the wine culture is particularly exclusive because the tradition is rather haughty and complex. People take wine very personally, which is understandable, since wine has been around for thousands of years. Plus, good wine is expensive.
Nevertheless, I often go to Jewel and peruse the wine selection, the imported wine area especially (that’s where I’ve found a lot of my favorites), and it’s really an interesting experience. When you pick out a vodka, you pick the one that tastes the least like battery acid that fits your budget the best. Everyone seems to have a go-to beer, and the nicer beers are a little easier to identify, but there is a certain beer-snob stigma associated with a lot of them. Wine, on the other hand, presents a unique experience.
Each wine has a different feel because of label, bottle shape, and price. It is apparent that a lot of thought goes into the design of a wine’s appearance, because the brand is attempting to create a mood, an aura, if you will. Wines have to own their aura because they say things about themselves, literally. If you turn some wines around, you are sure to find long, in depth descriptions of the brand’s history, the notes of the wine, and what is appropriate to be served alongside it. It says where it came from, who made it, and who it’s for.
I think I enjoy this process so much because choosing wine is heavily dependent on interpreting branding and language and messages. While wine-makers are surely trying to sell you something and trying to make money, I think that the wine market is unique in its advertising in that there is a lot of honesty and transparency, which other markets could surely take note of.
