The Art of Wine | FEATURE
The Art of Wine
It’s time to pay homage to greatness By David Biggs
I
n this modern age of mass production it’s easy to forget that wine-making is an art, no less than painting, sculpture or composing music. Being human, we like to surround ourselves with art. We hang paintings on our walls, listen to good music and maybe even buy a concrete statue of David to put in that shady spot under the palm tree. Most of us, however, have to be satisfied with copies of the “real thing.” We can’t afford tickets to every symphony concert, so we buy recordings. Original artworks and sculptures are way beyond our bank balances, but we can afford copies. As a special treat, however, we might occasionally visit an art gallery or buy a ticket to a concert or play. When it comes to appreciating wine most of us have to settle for “second best”. (And in South Africa there are some excellent second bests, to be sure.) We can pop into the local liquor store and pick up
a R60 bottle of their house brand Shiraz to go with tonight’s pizza or a cheap Chenin Blanc to drink with the hake and chips from the local fish shop. No problem with that. It’s like hanging a framed print of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night on the kitchen wall. Pretty, and it fills the blank space between the fridge and the window. But every now and then we need to be reminded of what art is all about. Great art happens when a talented genius is inspired by a moment in nature to produce something wonderful and unique. It might be the sunlight reflected in a lovely woman’s smile, the storm clouds gathering on a mountain top or an angry wave threatening a fragile fishing vessel. It might be an unusually good crop of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It’s not easy to define, but we recognise the greatness when we see it. Once in a while we need to step back from the ordinary
and pay homage to greatness. Devote an evening to a great wine. Examine it, sniff it, sip it and describe it to yourself. Allow the complex flavours to spread and fade on your palate. Spend time exploring the complexity of an Ernie Els or Neil Ellis Cabernet. Savour the nuances of a Fairview Jakkalsfontein Shiraz or a Newton Johnson Pinot Noir. Feel the power of a De Wetshof Bateleur Chardonnay. Then, by all means, go back to your daily glass—or bottle—of cheap Plonk de Noir. Great art is not for every day. But it is there to remind us what the human race is capable of. It provides a standard to which we can aspire. It’s all too easy today to slip into the gloomy spiral of believing the human race is all about violence and crime. It often feels like that when we listen to the news headlines or read the front page of the daily newspaper. Great art reminds us that there is still beauty in the world and the human race is capable of creating it. Perhaps great paintings, symphonies, sculptures—and great wines—are there to restore our pride in the human race.
‘Great art reminds us that there is still beauty in the world and the human race is capable of creating it’
Wine under a microscope is art in itself
SOUTH AFRICAN CONNOISSEUR
SAC Aut22 Art and Wine.indd 5
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2022/03/03 1:09 AM
