From time to time I read (and keep) articles that I believe provide an interesting background for discussion. A story by Sarah Heller published in the South China Morning Post on 17 September caught my eye.
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/1859102/awkwardness-being-wine-snob
The article is titled ‘The awkwardness of being a wine snob’ and carried the sub-heading ‘Do you need to be an expert to enjoy a tipple? Yes, to some extent.’ I sincerely hope that I do not take any of Sarah’s commentary out of context and apologise in advance if I have misread her intent.
The bottom line to the article (as I read it) is ‘how much knowledge do you need to possess in order to enjoy a wine?’ The extremities in this case are ‘I don’t know anything about wine, but I know what I like’ to an MW or Master Sommelier qualification. She makes the very valid point that some knowledge will make an imbiber ‘wine literate’ and this is the phrase that caught my attention most. Wine, like all professions, has a language of its own. Some may argue that this language is verbose and overblown and my response would be that any language, whether professional or cultural can be so inclined….it all depends on the speaker.
Being literate in any language, I believe, brings a greater richness to involvement and experience. Learning a language is not just arranging words in the correct order or using them in the right context, it implies cultural immersion. While wine has become in many respects a commodity product (and to its detriment traded as such by some), those who are deeply involved with wine, speak the language as part of the culture, not for the purpose of belittling others but as a means of communication. As it is so when learning any new language, those with a limited vocabulary will fall back on the words they are most comfortable with….though the meaning may not really be what they are trying to express.
In support of Sarah’s conclusions, I suggest that platitudinous statements such as ‘…..it only matters whether you like it or not’ and ‘….but I know what I like’ arise as much from an inability to communicate real meaning than an inability to enjoy to the same level of satisfaction. The questions therefore become:
Can I learn a language without understanding its meaning? I say definitely not!
Does not being able to speak a language stifle my ability to enjoy an experience on my own terms? Once again, definitely not!
I suggest that being able to speak a language (any language) in a meaningful manner with a fellow communicator enriches the experience and suggests cultural immersion however is a discussion necessary to realise an emotion as subjective as enjoyment? Most definitely not!! (I have enjoyed many a bottle on my own without a word being uttered).
Education can help fill the gap between experiential enjoyment and cultural immersion. The level of education will be exposed by the language that is used however personal enjoyment will not be diminished (and may be enhanced) by cultural interaction with others (provided they play the game with respect).
Thanks for your article Sarah, I hope I have done justice to your cultural intent.