wine writing, the grotty truth

I doubt that anyone ever raises their child in the fond hope they shall end their years as a wine journalist. In fact, having been raised by a woman who was the daughter of a Wesleyan Methodist, I would think this was possibly one of her nightmares.

Actually, I doubt her imagination was baroque enough to come up with this rather finite permutation. Not that her imagination was small or limited. Quite the opposite. She was capable of gothic nightmares that would have had the Bronte sisters sucking on the end of a flintlock. It's just who the hell ever imagined a journalist category of wine writing? I mean really: who cares? It's just a beverage right?

Hmm. That's where it all goes wrong. Wine is many many things but just a beverage is not one of them. A quick list has to include:
- a marker of wealth and status
- a marker of taste and intelligence
- a marker of sophistication
- a marker of fashion.
And of course it also delineates a physical attribute. Can you, really, in fact, get those ephemeral tastes of lavendar, and chocolate, written so effusively by people such as myself?

Before you rush to answer this I suggest a simple test. Blindfolded, have some one feed you a glass of white, a glass of red, and a decent rose, all at identical temperatures, and then attempt to put the color - nothing else! - on the three glasses.

I await your results....