I have always theorised that the way people conduct themselves in public is a good way to understand their value systems. Foucault went a step further and said that by analysing punishments in any given era, we can tell a lot about society and its values. So far, Foucault one, Magan, zero.
Not one to combat such greatness, I took to wondering if this was true of our wine habits as well. At least in the last fifty years or so, when winemaking hasn’t been as driven by nature as it once used to be, could it be safe to argue that how wine tastes today is a reflection of how our tastes as humans are evolving?
It certainly works with dogs. The one time that unending investment of my time that I call my pup tasted real meat coming off a real bone was the end of most processed chews and snacks I could throw her way. But predilection for yumminess aside, her eating preferences have certainly changed since she was born. So have mine, but the theory I am contemplating isn’t about a lifetime, but several lifetimes. It’s safe to say that my need to bring up the case of my adorable Juno was just because it’s cute.
Back to the social science, statistics point out that dry wines are the most preferred style, and over the years, preference for residual sugar in wines is certainly declining. Mind you, this is data sourced from supermarkets so it may not reflect the sensibilities of the cognoscenti who love that little kick of sugar in their crisp Mosel Rieslings.
The thing is that society today is taught to despise, no, hate sugar. Sugar is bad is all we learn: from the gym coach to the adverts for diet cola, everyone abhors sweetness. It wouldn't surprise me if in the somewhat-distant future, sugar is classified as a drug and banned like cannabis, although just like cannabis, its illicit trade on the streets would remain rampant, and immensely reassuring.
I love sugar; I enjoy that soft, sticky, warmth it coats me with from within. It’s the one thing that makes summers bearable. I don't like it too much but I definitely don't mind it too often. Even in my wines, as long as it is to provide balance and is more a team player rather than the soloist.
But society asks for dry wines. Sparkling wines are more commonly Extra Brut styled and the catch word is Zero Dosage. The average white wine today has no more than 4 grams of sugar per litre, which is lower than even the human threshold for detection, and yet people complain. It is as if anything that has sugar, no matter how little, is meant for those who don’t truly understand their wines.
So here is the lowdown. Sugar is an expensive ingredient; winemakers certainly don’t add it, and that which is left behind in a wine is to provide some roundness and balance. Wines with innately high acidity use this to achieve harmony and drinkability. Sure, you may like your steely crisp whites but can you last an entire meal with them? More importantly, apart from oysters and raw sea food, do they even pair with most of the cuisines you eat?
True, some winemakers use sugar to hide imperfections (a big Indian wine brand with famous white wines comes to mind) and it is perhaps such who have created this baby-and-bathwater situation, but to detest a wine for having some residual sugar is like disliking grandpa for his wrinkles.
And I would believe that people enjoy these wines, but in all my events, I find that the first bottles to run out are the ones that have a little sugar. In other words, we don't mind drinking it; we even enjoy it, but talk about it and we shall instantly and vehemently deny any desire for it.
So embrace your sweet side and realise that it doesn't make one an amateur just because they don’t like to drink dried-out, leathery wines. One sip of a lovely, chilled, slightly off, dry wine and you will know what you have been missing — the ultimate summer reviver!
And so, in retrospect, let me revisit the theory I proposed in the beginning: the true judge of a person is what he drinks when nobody is watching. I think Foucault would agree.
