Elitism, Elation, and Errors
Eish...I'll get off the alliteration train one day.
Wine is elitist…it just is.
This thought has plagued me for 10 months and 13 days. In fact, I struggled to press ‘publish’ because I was doubting myself (more on that later). I’ve brushed it aside as feeling sorry for myself - a side effect of the way I was raised: you can waste time complaining about how unfair life is…or you can do something about it.
These feelings are largely based on hitting a financial speedbump/mountain on my journey along the wine certification road. But it’s something that affects me as a wine consumer (outside of wine studies). And I’ll be it affects you too.
Less isn’t more…when you’re trying to learn.
There comes a point in some of our wine journey’s where we start looking for greater context…we reach a point where we want/need more.
Wanting to explore more grape varieties from different regions - both local and international regions
Wanting to compare varying quality levels and price points to find our own personal sweet spot
Needing more storage for the wines we’re collecting to taste; wanting a wine fridge for the special wines we plan on ageing
Wanting to continue our learning, possibly through certifications
Wanting more goes hand in hand with paying more. Which, for some, slows down or completely halts their progress.
To be fair, if we lived for a thousand years we’d still not have the time to taste every wine in the world. We could be, and mostly are, very happy sipping and savouring what we have access to. Those of us who live in wine producing countries are tasting and titillating at the nectar from our neighbouring vineyards.
And that’s more than enough…until you find yourself being haunted by 5 words: Domaine de la Romanee Conti.
Context…as determined by critics.
Wine critics and publications reiterate lauded wines year after year. Be they by style: Trockenbeerenauslese, Vin Jaune, R.D. Champagne (récemment dégorgé). Or by name: Heidsick, Pétrus, Sassicaia, Screaming Eagle, Grange...and let’s not forget the ghostly antagonist behind these dark thoughts, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti “Romanee-Conti”. We’re repeatedly slammed with names that so few people have the privilege of tasting. We know these names by heart. Eventually, we covet a taste of these benchmark examples: whether it’s to reset the bar or whether it’s to confirm that Hamilton Russell is perfectly wonderful. Context.
So how do you and I do something about this?
I’ve often remarked about how the wine world is incredibly generous. Showing genuine interest and initiative leads to stimulating conversations, friendships and invitations to wine tastings. Romanee-Conti tastings? Hah! Aside from the nepo babies, there are limitations to the generosity of the wine world…and not enough DRC to go around.
There’s also a degree of self-assurance involved. Sure, one reads and studies and educates oneself. Which amounts to little if one’s humility (aka imposter syndrome) results in nobody knowing that you know enough to appreciate the opportunity to taste the iconic stuff. Fake it until you make it is particularly amusing advice in the wine world…at least Rudy Kurniawan got to taste the good stuff 😂!
Perhaps this ramble is sheer wine FOMO. There’s also the deluded idea that I deserve to be able to taste DRC when I am ready to appreciate DRC. I am not ready (rocking my 4x4 Birkenstocks at lavish events, where Cartier rings are the norm, proves that I’m not ready to play the ‘let me into the DRC club’ game).
But there’s a sadness in knowing that, when/if I am ready, it may not be available to me. It’s not available to most people. And I’d argue that, perhaps, it’s available to some people who don’t appreciate the wine beyond its elusive exclusivity. Because, at some point in one’s wine journey, one realises that wine is elitist.
What I got up to this week (aka I left the house):
No pictures. But I promise I left the house to meet up with my friend Clarise from Il Geco Wines. I couldn’t be prouder of her. When I was first blown away by her incredible 2014 Cap Classique (7 years on the lees!), one could only access the wines by contacting Clarise directly. Barely a year later:
her 2017 Cap Classique won gold at the 2022 Cap Classique Challenge
her wines are stocked by my all-time favourite boutique stores (Vino Pronto, Wine Concepts on Kloof, and Constantia Wine & Craft in Cape Town - as well as at Wine Menu in Joburg)
some of the Cape’s best restaurants (Foxcroft in Constantia, Fyn at Steenberg, Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic, Salsify - The Roundhouse) lists her wine
and a day we met, the 2017 Cap Classique was added to the impressive wine list at La Colombe…by the glass, no less!
I am elated by her achievements!
PS. I recognise the elitism of having access to 2 of the 400 bottles of the 2014…friend elitism doesn’t count! Right? Riiiight. 😏
Wine of the Fortnight:
I’m handing this title to an error: the Gonzalez Byass Solera '1847' Oloroso Dulce - Cream Sherry that I’d received instead of the Oloroso that I’d ordered. I considered returning it…but then thought, when do I ever drink Cream Sherry? Enjoying it on its own (toffee, coffee, raisins, prunes, hazelnut peel, citrus, baking spices…it’s sweet but a helluva lot more manageable than Pedro Ximénez). But the main reason it’s the wine of the fortnight is because I got to have fun playing mixologist (sherry, tonic water, a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash or two of bitters and garnishing with generous curl of orange peel).
Rando thought of the week?
Does anyone else incorrectly spell inoculation with two n’s (i.e. innoculation instead of inoculation)? For me, it’s the wine equivalent of the ‘dilemma’ Mandela Effect. I could have sworn on my grave and any future bottles of Graves that it used to be spelled ‘dilemna’?!? What happened to these n’s?
Okay, your turn:
Have you enjoyed Sherry Week? Do we agree that Cream Sherries are the most maligned of all the Sherries? Tell me that I’m wrong about wine being elitist…I could do with some hope right now!
Elitist is a word that really sums up the wine world …..and sums up the classical piano world too! Generous yes but still elitist! For inoculation…. I have autocorrect!!