Why wine? In search of truth

“In vino veritas” – roughly translates to “Truth in wine”. From its origins nearly ten thousand years ago, wine has had a consistent thread through the fabric of society. There is no drug more divisive, no libation more celebrated, and no indulgence more shared. How did we get here, and why are we still so fascinated with this beverage?

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, proclaimed two thousand years ago that wine was “a part of a healthy diet”. Our love affair with wine increased exponentially over the next thousand years, and at its peak large portions of the world turned to wine and beer as a safer form of hydration when water sources were widely contaminated. And yet as we rounded the corner into modernity a ‘temperance movement’ took hold, espousing the societal and physiological benefits of complete abstinence from drinking. This segued into prohibition, which was undoubtedly America’s worst hangover. As the dust has settled in the hundred years since, no substance has been more frequently studied by modern medicine, and yet we’re still no closer to the truth.

Looking back through the empty glass, wine was responsible for the invention of coca cola, pasteurization, and pretty much everything Hemingway penned. It led to the expansion of Rome via its legions, gave confidence to the crusaders, and even fueled the expansion of the American Revolution. While all of these may just seem like anachronistic tidbits of history, they’ve all contributed to the tight weave of wine in our societal fabric. Whether wine is good for us or not, it’s a part of our history and is here to stay. My hope is that over the quarter, understanding the current dynamics in the wine industry may get me a little closer to finding the truth.