Wine makes everything better
You got through your case of the Mondays. Tacos helped Tuesday. Unfortunately, Wednesday is Hump day. You’ve got Friday on your mind, so it just doesn’t feel right. But, we have good news. This particular Wednesday is National Wine Day. And, that is welcome news. Because, Wine makes everything better.
So, what is this magical elixir? Why is it so ubiquitous throughout society? It’s in religion, culture, and daily life. Wine comes in many varieties on all land masses across the globe. It can create and cure problems. When you are sad, it can either make you happy or sadder. It’s medicinal and recreational all at once. And, along with water,tea, and beer, wine is firmly in the top ten beverages consumed in the world. You can have wine for special occasions or in a dirty alley. Royalty and roughnecks all relate to it on some level. It launches ships. And, it sinks careers. Deities and demons inhabit each glass. Yes. Wine is what makes the world go ’round.
But, where did it come from? What is the current standing of wine throughout the world? And, where is it going? Let’s look at these important questions and discuss over a glass of wine.
Table of Contents
Wine has made everything better for millennia
According to archaeologists, wine has been around for about 8,000 years. The earliest traces were found in what is now Georgia (the country) around 6000 BC. Remnants were also discovered in Persia dating back to around 5000 to 5400 BC. And, the earliest evidence in Italy dates to around 4000 BC. One would think Italy would have the oldest record. But, one would be wrong.
Regardless of who started making wine, the modern world gets most of its wine from a handful of areas. Italy is still the number one producer with over 400 regulated appellations. France has just under 400 regions and is the number 2 producer. Spain is number 3. And, USA is number 4. But, there is an upstart in the top 10 now. China is making gains. Not only do they control the means of production for everyday household goods. They are now making inroads to dominate a storied industry just because they can.
France and Italy have a reputation of making the best wines in the world. Chianti, Barolo, Champagne, Prosecco, Bordeaux, and Amarone are indelibly set as some of the biggies. But, we can’t become complacent. The red menace of Chinese ambition has its sights set on a huge market. In fact, they are buying up some prime vineyards and learning how to replicate some of the best wines. They are driving up pricing and developing a presence that will position them to be a viable, cheaper alternative.
What can you do?
As with all things in commerce, consumer demand is the major driver. If you haven’t seen the documentary film “Red Obsession“, you should definitely put it on your list. They explain how the Chinese obsession for great French wines has pushed pricing out of reach for all but the richest people in the world. Wines that used to go for $2,000 are now in the tens of thousands.
The Chinese are buying vineyards and importing vines to China so that they can make great wines themselves. This is all part of their drive for economic dominance throughout the world. For a communist country, they certainly have quite a penchant for capitalist maneuvers. By driving up prices for traditional wines, they are positioning themselves to offer comparable wines for less money, still at an inflated price over what it should be.
So, what can you do to combat this? Become an educated consumer. First, don’t buy wines made in China. It may be tempting, since there are good wines from there. But, resist. Furthermore, try to research ownership of wineries before you buy. You would be surprised at some of the wineries with Chinese ownership. Australians are fighting back with a list of vineyards to boycott. But, it’s not just Australia. They are in Napa, Sonoma, Italy, And of course, France. It’s tough to fins out who owns a winery. So, try your best to buy wines produced and owned by locals.
Furthermore, lobby your elected officials on the local, national, and international levels to let them know we are not okay with this. People worry about “open borders” in regards to immigrants. What we really should be concerned about is open borders with trade. Call for restrictions and regulation on foreign ownership.
It’s more than just wine
Wine is supposed to make everything better. Now we have to worry about that too? But, it’s more than just wine. Inflation is out of control. Everyone is quick to blame politicians for the situation. While there are things politicians can do, they have to be done in a bi-partisan manner. And, that is not something our current political environment encourages. Instead of working for the people, they are all working for their parties and special interests.
The real reason we are seeing inflation is exactly what the Chinese did with wine. manufacturers of everything from baby formula to gasoline know there is a demand for their products. They can charge anything they want. There is nor regulation. The only regulated markets are commodities. So, farmers are the ones who take it on the chin; because, oil companies and automotive parts companies (many of which are Chinese owned) have no cap on pricing. They can and will charge whatever they think they can get away with. And, when prices start going up, people purchase more out of panic over future price hikes. it’s a vicious, self propelled cycle. In the meantime, farmers still get $3 for a bushel of corn. But, they are now paying double the fuel costs.
People ask why we don’t produce more of our oil at home instead of importing it. While this could give us more control over international influences on pricing, it won’t eliminate price gouging. The real solution should be for us to consume less oil. The US uses over 17 million barrels a day. Compare that to China at 14 and India at 5. Yet, both of those countries have at least 3 times the population of our country. If the Chinese have a red obsession, ours is black (oil).
Don’t worry, Drink Wine
When the pandemic hit, everyone stayed home. Zoom became the “new normal” and oil consumption dropped dramatically. But, everybody longed for those days of being crammed into little office cubicles and sitting in traffic. What was wrong with working remotely? We consumed significantly less fuel. And, considerably more wine. See? Didn’t wine make everything better?
So, what what we need here is a smarter way of working and consuming energy. Climate change alarmists constantly harp about saving the world with renewable low carbon fuel alternatives. This message doesn’t resonate with most people because it’s an abstract view of the future with a lot of variables. But, if we look at it from an economic and sheer consumption perspective, maybe we can make a change. Gas and oil prices are through the roof because they are ubiquitous. But, what if we have alternatives? We won’t be reliant on one fuel source. We once relied on whale oil. But, we discovered alternatives. Read more about fuel transition (and more recipes) here.
This is why hybrid and all electric vehicles are on the rise now. As much as an all electric vehicle is a nice alternative, I think GM had a better idea a few years ago when they started producing “flex fuel” vehicles. We should have a choice. Just like Red or white wine. If oil prices are too high, use bio fuel or battery power. Why limit yourself? That’s when they get you.
Which Brings us back to wine
Sorry for the Geo-political tangent. But, it ties into the red obsession issue. Just like oil, if the Chinese continue taking over wineries, they will have a monopoly on the market. So, we need alternatives. People talk about shop local all the time now. This applies to wine too. While the best wines come from appellations like Bordeaux and Burgundy, the insurgence of fine wines from California show us that wine doesn’t have to come from the “old world”. In fact, there are now wineries in every state in the USA. So, you can, in fact, buy wine from someone near you. Depending on where you live, the varietals may be different. your vintner will know which types of wine grow best in their vineyards. So, get what is best for the region.
For more on varietals and picking a good wine, check out this article. If you like a certain varietal that doesn’t grow well near you, do some research. For instance, Cabernet grows great in Napa Valley. But, not so well in Texas. There you will want to look for a Tempranillo or Viognier. If you are in the Northeast or Northwest, reislings are spectacular. In hotter climes like Florida and Arizona, you are better off with a local Muscadine grape. Since Cabernet and Chardonnay are the top 2 varietals, when you are looking for those, find out who owns the vineyard. Unfortunately, you may miss out on some great wines.
There are alternatives:
But, here’s a news flash. There are plenty of great wines out there. Believe it or not, most vintners take great pride in what they do. And, as is the case with most things, mass production detracts from the quality. That’s why giant wine companies like Riunite or Gallo wines are generally horrible: not because they don’t know how to make good wine, but because they choose to mass produce to the lowest common denominator. And, even those wines have their place (usually in cooking). Just remember, we are talking about alternatives here. Chateau Montelena makes some fantastic wines. But, if the Chinese were to buy them, switch to Far Niente or Chappellet.
There is always an alternative, whether it is a $10 or $1,000 bottle you are looking for. Unless you are Fortunato Luchresi, you can make all the substitutions you want and be just as happy. And, when drinking everyday wines, there are thousands of bottles that rate 90 and above for under $20, even $10 or less. And, most wine sellers will offer samples. So, try and buy.
Wine makes everything better, even food.
While drinking wine is a given. Some people are afraisd to cook with it. They are afraid they will overdo it. Is there any such thing? If you add “too much” wine, simply cook it down. The natural sugars will create a glaze. Here is a pasta recipe. We reduce red wine down to a syrup to intensify the flavor and color. Then, we add it into homemade pasta. And, when you make this or most wine recipes, don’t use the good stuff. Save that for sipping. Even cheapo boxed wine is okay for cooking. You just want the general flavor and color. Try this recipe with a nice sauce, protein, vegetables, or seafood. It goes really well with something like lamb or a heartier item.
Salud!
Homemade Sea Salt and Red Wine Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour Typo 00 preferred, but you can use AP or other)
- 2 each Large eggs
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Cups Red Wine (Chianti, Sangiovese, or whatever you have. Not too sweet)
Instructions
- Put the wine in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. It will be thicker and deeper in color. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the flour and salt together. Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
- Mound the flour on a clean, non porous surface (Cutting board, marble, stainless steel, granite, butcher block, etc.). Create a "bowl" in the middle to mix in the ingredients.
- Pour the eggs into the indentation in the flour. Add in the wine and oil. Fold the flour into the wet ingredients. Be careful that they don't spill out. Continue folding in until a dough begins to form. Flour the surface, as needed, to continue kneading.
- As the dough forms, continue kneading it with the palm of your hand. Fold it, and knead some more. Do this for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then form the dough into a ball and cover it. Let the ball rest for about 5 minutes.
- Split the ball into 4 pieces. Roll them into balls. Flatten the balls by hand or with a rolling pin. Then put through a pasta machine. Start on the widest setting. Roll it into a long thin strip. Fold the dough in 1/2 and roll through again to get even strips. Then, roll again at the next lowest setting. Repeat this process until it is the desired thickness. If the pieces are too long, cut them to a manageable size.
- Once the sheets are at the desired thickness, use the cutter attachment of the pasta machine to cut into strips.
- Boil water with salt. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes. Toss with your favorite sauces and toppings. Mangia!