MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Raise a glass to wine with a social purpose
Producers are charitable as a rule and donate to many good causes
All alcoholic beverages serve as social lubricants, making it easier for the less gregarious to shed their inhibitions. Go to a pub or tavern on a busy night and you can measure the effect in decibels. But that moment of Dutch courage is temporary: it’s usually followed by embarrassment, repentance and regret. We’ve all seen the memes about alcohol deluding people into thinking they can sing and dance (and, sadly, drive cars fast).
Wine offers the prospect of a more moderate engagement. Perhaps because it’s most often consumed with food it’s a more social beverage. This may also account for its place in literature, both as a way of setting context and as a literary subject in its own right. Constantia is mentioned by Jane Austen, Chateau Margaux by Ernest Hemingway: to those who were wine literate at the time these books were published the names alone conjured much more than brand placement does today...
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