Wine, as a product and as a societal and cultural force, comprises both the scientific and the romantic. It is a substance that is defined by science in that it can be broken down into its biological and chemical constituents, quantified, and measured. Wine has been a part of human history and culture since antiquity, taking on an important presence in ritual both sacred and profane. Thus, the identity of wine unequivocally includes romance: there is an association of a positive feeling of excitement, mystery, and magic. Romance is by definition, then, a phenomenon that cannot be explained by science. This dichotomy begs the question of whether science has taken away the romance of wine. With improvements in vineyard and cellar technology, wine can be made based on formulas and tested for conformity in the lab. Further, numerous scientific studies have attempted to determine whether wine is beneficial or detrimental to human health. While wine may no longer be seen as a proverbial elixir of life or simply as a wondrous beverage that brings ineffable enjoyment, there is strong evidence that the romance of wine lives on.
Science in the vineyard has the potential to detract from the romance of wine. Visitors to vineyards expecting to see a bucolic landscape of humans tending vines, horses ploughing, and sheep grazing between rows may instead witness mechanical sprayers, drones, and robots. These machines play an increasingly important role in helping growers assess disease risk, measure moisture levels, and create viticultural strategies. Their presence will likely grow. At Château Coutet, where Vitirover was created and trialed, the yellow inter-row vegetation-managing robot likely doesn’t enhance the romantic impression of wine compared with a vineyard grazed by sheep. The VineScout robot in Portugal was trialed by Symington to measure vine vitals such as water availability, plant vigor, and leaf and canopy temperature. E. & J. Gallo collaborates with NASA to measure canopy size and vigor across vineyard plots via photographs taken by satellites every eight days. This largescale, industrial, scientific approach to viticulture may not seem romantic at all.
Still, there are many vineyards in which more natural methods of viticulture are utilized. This bolsters the romantic image of wine as a product of back-to-nature, traditional craft. Take the photogenic Babydoll sheep managing vegetation in Yealands’ Marlborough vineyards, as well as the winery’s use of seaweed and crushed mussel shells as mulch. Technology and traditional approaches can also exist in tandem, mitigating the effect of science upon the romance: while Pape Clément uses drones to assess mildew risk, it also employs three horses to plough the land. And many consumers remain unaware of what occurs in the vineyard to produce the wine they buy. Thus, even producers who are using technologically advanced viticultural methods can enhance the romantic image of their wines by highlighting other aspects. For example, Symington emphasizes foot-treading in its Port creation process at Quinta de Vesuvio. Therefore, while science may have taken some of the romance from wine in the vineyard, there are many opportunities to fuel it.
Scientifically crafted clones and rootstocks may also take away from the romance in wine. The vast numbers of grapes grown from carefully created combinations of genetically specific plant material may not enhance an association with the sense of nature and its wonders. In response to this, however, the trend of highlighting wines made from the fruit of vines that are own-rooted or from native or “traditional” varieties shifts consumers’ focus from such scientific aspects to the romantic. The own-rooted vines of Clos St. Jacques have become a symbol of Bollinger’s history and sense of tradition. Plots of old vine Zinfandel planted in the 1880s by Italian immigrants are highlighted on the websites and marketing materials of Ridge Vineyards and Bedrock. Georgian varieties such as Saperavi are, while still not widely known on the global market, increasingly attracting the attention of wine consumers and especially millennials, who have been reported by data analytics firms such as Nielsen to specifically seek authentic experiences. Thus, by emphasizing the history and tradition of wine, a sense of balance can be created between the scientific and the romantic.
Science in the winery has a distinct potential to diminish the romance of wine. Commercial yeast can be used to inoculate must and control the advent and duration of alcoholic fermentation, as well as to influence the sensory profile of a wine. Specific strains of lactic acid bacteria can be used to control the start of malolactic fermentation, adjust acidity, and impact a wine’s aroma and flavor profile. Sulfur dioxide can be used to prevent or arrest alcoholic or malolactic fermentation and to keep microbial activity to a minimum. Acid levels can be further adjusted by the addition of tartaric acid or potassium bicarbonate, raising or lowering them, respectively. Flash extraction can remove undesired aroma precursors or compounds before fermentation. Reverse osmosis can reduce alcohol levels in an already-made wine. Every component can be tested, with large facilities like ETS Laboratories and the Australian Wine Research Institute Commercial Services available to measure levels of pH, volatile acidity, and so on. While the vast majority of consumers arguably wish for a sound, consistent wine without disconcerting levels of Brettanomyces or other undesired flavors, there is a consumer sentiment trend toward “natural” or low manipulation in winemaking. This is evidenced by increases in organic wine purchasing (Nielsen US and UK) and the proliferation of smaller-production, natural, biodynamic, sustainable, and organic wine launches worldwide—for example, Villa Maria’s BioGro-certified EarthGarden line. This trend appears to relate to the perception that increased scientific precision in the winemaking process has taken away some of the romance from wine.
Even if science may detract from romance in winemaking, there is balance to be found. For high-volume producers like Accolade and Gallo, scientific precision is necessary for consistency in their wines. However, they can and do emphasize a particular wine’s origin story to increase the sense of authenticity and romance. Eileen Hardy Chardonnay presents a family origin story for the wine and refers to its namesake as the “first lady of Australian wine,” for example. In addition, mid-sized and smaller wineries often highlight winemaking practices that are less interventionist and that potentially appeal to the romantic aspect of wine. Achaval Ferrer in Mendoza stresses natural yeast fermentation, and Frank Cornelissen is known for eschewing sulfur dioxide in the service of allowing terroir and grape characteristics to shine. The rise of fascination with amphora-made Georgian wines provides another balancing factor that highlights traditional practices and heightens the romance of wine.
The role of science in the assessment of benefits and harms of wine for human health and society has had a significant impact on the romance of wine. Past decades have seen studies showing wine having positive effects as part of the French Paradox and Mediterranean diet and reports identifying resveratrol in red wine as possibly beneficial against heart disease. These scientific studies have perhaps encouraged people to consume more red wine, but drinking wine solely for health reasons does not necessarily enhance the romance of wine. In the past several years, major studies that have concluded wine is not beneficial and is even detrimental to health have certainly damaged the romantic association with wine. An influential 2018 report by the Harvard Medical Society stated there is very little evidence that drinking wine provides any health benefits. The Lancet released a widely publicized study that followed participants for more than 20 years in over 90 countries to analyze the effects of alcohol on health. This study’s verdict: “No amount of alcohol is good for your health.” This has facilitated a swing in public sentiment away from the consumption of wine. These studies also coincide with increasing numbers of consumers, especially millennials, seeking healthier lifestyles and expressing interest in curtailing wine and alcohol consumption. In these ways, science has undeniably taken a toll on the romance of wine. However, the advent of “clean” wines such as Good Clean Wine and Avaline, the latter marketed by actress Cameron Diaz, have served to bring the focus of wine back to aspirational lifestyles. This trend may help mitigate the impact of science on wine and encourage social sentiment to return to the romantic.
Moreover, if the severity of the recent scientific studies were to be largely accepted by society, very few people would still be drinking wine. According to Zion Market Research, the global wine industry is worth $304 billion and expected to exceed $420 billion by 2030. According to Nielsen and IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, online wine sales have seen strong, steady growth for more than a decade in major wine-consuming markets such as the US, UK, and China and have soared during the Covid-19 pandemic. Wine.com reported year-over-year growth of 119% in 2020, with the greatest share of base customers and new customers comprising millennials and Generation Z. It stands to reason that if younger consumers concerned with authentic experiences are coming to wine, the romance is likely not all lost and there is a future for wine to remain a vital part of people’s lifestyles. Indeed, Nielsen reported that a leading reason for buying and consuming wine is to enhance social experiences, a decidedly non-scientific motivation.
As market data for wine consumption show, wine continues to persist and even thrive as a part of many societies and cultures worldwide. As much as science plays a significant role in viticulture and winemaking, efforts by producers and brands to emphasize tradition, history and legacy, or practices that align with a nature-oriented outlook help bring the focus back to romance in wine. And whether science deems wine healthy or dangerous for one’s health, the trend for wines that fit into a narrative of a balanced lifestyle and the enduring power of wine in enhancing social experiences suggest that the romance remains. Science will always be a part of winemaking, yet there is a sufficiently strong positive association with the concept and experience of wine that allow it to maintain its ineffably magical qualities in the minds of consumers.
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Thank you for sharing a P5 Essay! I love the way you answered it, and it also points to many other possibilities for structuring an answer.
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Thanks for providing so many references.
Thank you Bryce Wiatrak for reading! I hope you and everyone will find this an interesting take on a thought-provoking Paper 5 topic.
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