Wine always was a thirst quencher or (and this still applies to many) a one-way ticket to oblivion but nowadays everyone’s looking to get more out of it.. but as we dissect it, examine it, evaluate it are we taking the fun out of it – or is this the fun?
I get asked on a regular basis how I got into the world of wine and my truthful answer invariably meets disappointment: “because I could speak English”. When I started organising international wine events for some of Italy’s most prestigious producers, what I knew about wine could be written on the back of a postal stamp. A course at the CIA in Napa, two years of studying with the Italian Sommelier Association and a couple of WSET exams later, thankfully I now know a little more than the fact that it’s just made from grapes but through all this, wine was about studying, rather than enjoying.
One of the things I love in this part of the world, is that rather than delving into books describing the technical process or having to memorize lists of appellations, people use wine – on its own – for a social experience (and I’m not talking about getting wasted “I love you” social experience :-)).
My first encounter with a wine club was in the Netherlands this year where, with a friend, I organised a consumer tasting for an Italian consortium. The group of wine lovers who meet every month in the village social club, revelled in having so many wines from one appellation to compare and mull over. We got an insight into what consumers like and look for, and a big ball of cheese as a thank you.
In Belgium I’ve already come across a few of these clubs. The French-speaking community have many with wine bars and shops now using consumer curiosity to give guided tasting courses of their wines. In Flanders the Vlaamswijngilde is an association with a wine club in almost every town. Recently the Italian Farmer’s Union (CIA) started an Italian wine club (in Italian) with guest speakers arriving each session to explain not just the wines of the different Italian regions but also how to taste wines. Most of these clubs are organised so that your annual inscription gives you access to 7 or 8 evenings on various themes. They differ in how “educational” they are, some have more educational content whilst others are more about enjoying the wine and meeting new people.
For the expats in Brussels, R99 run by South African Elizma Myburgh holds wine workshops at the quaint British and Commonwealth Women’s Club in Woluwe Saint Pierre in English. Workshops are one-off, you pay to what you go to, and are based around a theme – whether that be a certain country or a grape variety. As can be expected, the faces change every session with a nice mix of international expats from across the globe. Wines are served blind with Elizma prompting discussion on taste, colour, smell but she then leaves you to match the wines up with the list provided.
Last week’s R99 Hidden Gems workshop included fantastic wines from across the globe selected for their unusual blend or variety. Eizma prompts and guides the conversation explaining why you’re tasting what you’re tasting, why wines from a certain region can be expected to be a certain way, how climate influences the wines, how to analyse the tannin and acidity structure to work out where the wines come from – and nothing sounds stuffy and formal. There are no books in sight, no lists of appellations – it’s just about putting the fun (back) into wine – just where it should be!
