Why Wine?
- Lewis MacDonald
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
Of all the alcoholic drinks that exist, why is it that wine is seen as the chief among them? Why has wine been given the hardcore glorification that makes it the go to for any fine dining experience? After all I doubt many Michelin Star restaurants host a fine cider or craft beer menu to rival their wine selection.
There is however, a growing trend of Fine cider, check out this article for more.
The answer to this question is complex enough to fill an entire book on the topic, and one day I might attempt such a feat. But for now, I’ll try to summarise what I see as one of the contributing factors to the heightened value we put on wine, both socially and economically.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
The Roman Empire was the first European superpower. For some 500 years (depending on what historian you ask) the dominant cultural law was that which sprang from the dream of two lads and a She Wolf.
Check out the story of Romulus and Remus for more on this.
This Roman culture was so strong an identity, that even after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, many European kingdoms continued to aspire to the likes of Caesar and Augustus far into the early modern period. It’s honestly hilarious to read about the ways that these rulers, with no actual connection to Rome would essentially Cosplay their Roman predecessors. There is a striking parallel between a Medieval king declaring themselves Caesar… and a child wearing a kitchen colander on their head and believing they have suddenly become an Astronaut.
I highly suggest Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell. It’s a hilarious story of the early English Monarchy.
Eventually, these Medieval kingdoms became industrialised powerhouses with a desire to colonise and indoctrinate the entire world to their viewpoint, and despite their technological and cultural evolution, that Roman cultural zeitgeist still reigned supreme. European architecture, iconography, bureaucracy and philosophy was heavily influenced by Rome.
What does this have to do with wine today?
European nations were the dominant power during the industrial period, and in that era it was only natural that the ideal of wealth, of power, and of sophistication was coded to that of Europe, a Europe that was coded to culture of Rome. What did the Romans drink?
That’s right… WINE!
All roads don’t lead to Rome
Re-reading that makes me seem rather cynical and somewhat anti-wine!
However, it is safe to say that I would not have gotten into a career in the wine industry and created this wine centric blog if I hated the subject. However, there is plenty about wine as a drink that has encouraged it to be the quintessential tableside companion.
When dissected to its constituent aspects, we can see that wine acts fantastically as a social lubricant, a flavour enhancer, and a great gift.
A bottle to share
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, not exactly a shocking fact.
The first thing to state is that alcohol is not a healthy substance. Any stories you might have heard about its suggested health benefits are far outweighed by the negatives of ingesting a literal neurotoxin, or straight up myths bandied about by functional alcoholics looking for any excuse for a quick tipple. Whilst alcohol is not of any physical benefit, multiple studies have proven its positive effects on our social, and mental health when used in moderation.
Wine in general hits that sweet spot in ABV that means that just a few glasses get us to a state of relaxed inebriation that makes social situations both more enjoyable and more productive. If we have any more than a few glasses, we risk pushing past tastefully tipsy and heading straight into fully stotious, a point at which we are less likely to make friends and more prone to saying something we’d probably regret.
*For more on this topic, I highly recommend the book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, And Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland that goes into depth on how alcohol has been shown to build better bonds between our friends, family and co-workers.
This sweet spot of ABV means that a bottle of wine is just the right amount of drink to encourage sharing. Compare this to other non-distilled drinks.
A 66cl bottle of beer can often be consumed in one sitting by one person.
A 75cl bottle of Fine Cider, whilst slightly stronger than beer, is often at the level where 2 people can easily polish off a bottle… or one west country lad like myself.
A 75cl bottle of wine however is often just strong enough to be a social lubricant to 3 or four people, sat around a table and enjoying a good meal.
With all that in mind we can see that when using alcohol for the purpose of encouraging friendship, wine is arguably best placed among drinks due to its alcoholic content being not too much, and not too little, Goldilocks would approve!
A range of flavours
Wine comes in a range of flavours and styles, this breadth of flavours and aromas make wine a powerful tool in any chef’s cabinet.
When I mentioned earlier that most Michelin Star restaurants feature big wine menus, it’s not just because of centuries of Eurocentric, Romanophiles. For every starter, entrée and dessert there is a world of wine that can pair perfectly with every possible flavour profile.
Acidic dry whites with fish or cheese
Full bodied, smoky reds with steak and BBQ
Sweet botrytis wines with creamy puddings
This is only three broad ideas of a practically endless selection of wine and food pairing.
Food pairing itself isn’t just about finding what flavours work well together, putting it that way makes it seem like we are desperate to drink alcohol and need to find out what won’t offend the palate… although I wont lie, that has occasionally been a personal goal. Wine can often not only work well with food, but act as a flavour enhancer.
Acidic wines can cut through fats, making fried and rich foods lighter and less heavy on the palate.
Sweet wines, rich in sugar can help tame spicey dishes, balancing their heat and vibrant flavours.
Some wines can even complete a dish; fruity red can take the role of cranberry sauce when drunk with roast chicken.
All put together, wine as a companion to food offers us an enhanced experience that would be completely lost without it.
So, Why Wine?
As you can see wine has benefited from centuries of glorification. Wine also offers a diverse range of flavours, styles, and strengths, making it well-suited to complement various culinary occasions or social gatherings.
With all that said, I would be remiss to not mention that Cider can equally offer a huge range of flavours, including the same acids, tannins and fruits that can be found in many wines.
Craft Beer and Fine Cider is now being made in stronger ABV’s, some of which rival European wines in alcoholic content, meaning that it is more socially acceptable to crack open a large bottle of either and share with the same level of inebriation that a bottle of would dispense.
With alternatives now available we must then again ask the question, why wine?
Well… Why not?
I’m not here to dictate or judge anyone on their choice of drink, I enjoy a huge range of beverages depending on the event, food, or simply by what takes my fancy.
The next time you find yourself planning for a social event or looking at the extensive wine menu of a fancy restaurant, just remember, there is a good reason for why you’d choose wine… but there is now an equally good reason to try something different.
The choice, as always, is yours.
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