Inspirational drinking: The fragile allure…

The universal palette is becoming increasingly educated and we see a greater understanding of the light, elegant red wines. 5 years ago, it was not something most guests were asking for: Today it is the go-to. We are looking for something quaffable, juicy and easygoing with soft tannins and lifted acidity. But not only that. We are also craving elegance, perfume, subtlety. There is something enchanting about the fragile, isn’t there? Something that draws us in, allures us, makes us curious. Fragility leaves space for exploration as an invitation to dive in deeper. We are intrigued to discover what is beneath the immediate first impression. The delicacy commands attention – with the fear of missing something you become focused, and the truly great wines will reward you with the world of elegance that then unfolds. I sometimes wonder if a wine can have an almost aesthetic quality to it in the glass… The senses of smell and taste work so powerfully in creating emotions that you can take the same pleasure in an immaculate - ly constructed, elegant wine as by observing something deeply pleasing or listening to a perfectly composed piece. While elegance in society usually signals wealth, education, or cultural capital, in wine elegance meets with the rough, rustic nature of farming and has historically been accessible to people of many different backgrounds. In the tension created by the clash of these opposites something wonderous appears – and it is all in the glass. Emotionally it resonates with admiration, inspires awe. We feel a significance in the culture and craftmanship that has gone into creating such a bottle. There is a certain element of simplicity and precision which is beyond what you imagine until it appears before you; nothing but the necessity is there, existing in harmony. Sometimes it can be almost otherworldly, even humor the fantasy and imagination as it offers a certain idealized version of refinement, that draws us in with the promise of an elevated, more harmonious reality, even if it is frail and temporary:

It will last until the glass is empty, yet the memory of it prevails. Such wines have a built-in quest: We feel compelled to understand what this came from and how we can experience this sensation again.

It might seem like a lot over a single glass of wine. You might find it to be a posh or over-interpretive approach to wine. Or it just might not resonate with you. But maybe, as you read, you conjured a strong memory of a wine that made an impact on you. Maybe, some of these intense emotions that those very best wines can evoke, were put into words. I spent quite some time trying to understand what ‘vin de emotion’ meant and even longer trying to describe it. I guess, it is something you must experience firsthand, and something that you must take notice of. I have been fortunate to experience it on several occasions, and true, I might be extreme in my interpretation, but it is as if everything is more vivid and my outlook of the world in those moments more positive and hopeful. We can easily let the moments pass by if we don’t take the time it requires. In that also lies the difference between tasting something briefly and spending the time sipping it over time; actually, drinking it.

I hope you have your own moments of inspirational drinking out there and enjoy this Summer issue. Cheers!

Nina Jensen Editor in chief