Wine Sentience Online: A Platform for Conversation
/Sometimes you just have to set aside prejudices and taste with an open mind.
New Zealand is home to a small but amazingly diverse culture of winemakers, thinkers and drinkers; whether grower, retailer or waiter. Yet, we are spread widely across the towns and cities, lodges, beaches, wine regions and islands of this long, thin country. All too rarely, different pockets of wine-passionate people working in isolation come together in collaboration, conference, or coincidence though these meetings almost always result in either incremental or evolutionary change.
It has always weighed heavily on our minds that a platform for open discussion, connection, sharing and awareness
was missing for both people and issues important to the
world of wine.
Although this will inevitably operate mostly as a forum on natural wine because of the activities of our collective, we don't intend to be restricted to discussions on it exclusively. There are many areas which deserve our focused attention - natural just happens to be one of the more passionate and polarising discussions of our time. Their controversy and attached influence is sure to play a role in the future of wine. Let's continue to think and converse on some of the big questions at hand and do it positively and publicly – because not every conversation can be had around a dinner table over food and wine.
So, think of this as a forum of sorts – for opinion, views, philosophies, discourse and, most importantly, productive discussion.
A place to explore the future of wine and wine making. Here are some of the questions we are interested in, please do send us yours to add to the list:
- Is natural wine a fad, and is it fundamentally kinder to the environment?
- Where is the line between wine faults and the unique appeal in an expression of wine?
– Why has natural wine captured the imagination of drinkers?
– How have craft beer and artisan single-origin cold-drip coffee succeeded in reaching an entire segment of the population that wine, and 'artisan wine', has not?
– How do we reconcile the quality we see in wines which win trophies and the wines which age for 50 years into great bottles; with a movement of wine which is ephemeral and about the enjoyment of now?
– Does this imply that natural wine should be cheap or affordable? Is there a boundary between fine wine and drinkable wine?
– Why does social media play such a big role in the wine movements of today when it doesn't convey the smell and taste of wine?
– Is the rise of democracy in the world of wine opinion and consumption compatible with the cutting edge of wine quality and the intricacies of fine wine?
– What is the role of wine apps?
– Why, against a backdrop of 'terroir' and pride in the land, sustainability, and the local; are wine lovers so obsessed with obtaining and worshipping wines from the opposite side of the world rather than those made in their own back yard
If you would like to contribute with anecdotes, viewpoints or discussions join the conversation through the 'Submit' tab at the top or get in touch at social@winesentience.com.
