“Creating music from an instrument, ceramics from a lump of clay, or a great meal from fresh foods all represent forms of art to me. But to take grape vines, farm them to produce the highest quality fruit and then turn them into wine… well, this process gets me closer to and more appreciative of whatever higher power there may be out there than anything else. It has to be the most complete and challenging of all art forms. I continue to be amazed by it.”
- Art Finkelstein
The wine industry has changed remarkably over the past 30 years. During this period, the hype caused by the advent of rating wine with medals or “scores”, the drama created by the big money, big ego people who have entered the industry, and commoditization of wine as a “product” heavily marketed by MBA “Brand Managers” with a sole purpose of generating profits, have all had their effect in increasing the american public’s awareness of wine, and obscuring the truth of its essence. The quote above speaks to the way many of us have come to view wine, and unfortunately, the man it is attributed to passed away last week.
Art was one of California’s great winemakers, not only because of his ability and talent in crafting wines of elegance, finesse, and depth, but because he truely lived his beliefs, and in doing so, brought others closer to what wine really is about. If you have not tried a wine made by him, or even if you have, go buy a bottle…now. When you sit and enjoy it, don’t think about the score it got, or it’s label, or how much it cost or anything other than the experience it creates for you on your palate, for your nose, and in your head. I always thought of Art’s wines as being “smart”, because they rewarded you when you were thoughtful with them. The rewards will not be obvious, but if you pay attention, you will be surprized by how much you learn.
When I was in the early stages of my wine education, I was at a tasting and had an ounce of wine poured into my glass that changed my world. The smell and taste of that wine was so transcendent that I have litterally spent the rest of my life tasting hundreds if not thousands of wines in search of a similar experience. In the 30 years since that tasting, I have tasted some truely remarkable wines, and with each one without exception, discovered a winemaker who turned out to be a remarkable person. I eat and drink for a living, and love my job because in paying attention to the experience offered in a well prepared meal or a finely crafted wine, and in sharing those experiences with the people who created them, and others, I have experienced of an artfull life. I am as wrapped up in the fast pace of new technologies and ideas as the next guy, but in the course of living through the onslaught foisted upon us by media, marketing, and technology, striving to live artfully does bring us back to what Art was talking about…getting closer to and more appreciative of whatever higher power there may be out there. Mostly, it’s fun.
What is art?…Art is a winemaker