We count ourselves lucky to work with fine wine. From vine to table, our noble product transcends a vast array of contemporary topics, from transgenerational business management to climate change concerns and sustainability, from craftsmanship to the positive influence of modern technology. As a catalyst for conversation, wine provides intellectual stimulation across age groups, cultures, political beliefs – this week we’re reflecting on some of the life lessons gained from investing time in appreciating fine wine.
Humility
Even the most experienced wine tasting professionals will admit that sharing thoughts on a wine within a group can be humbling. Our tastes vary based on the make-up of our own chemistry, mood, likes or dislikes, and taste memory. Accepting one’s individual reflections when tasting a wine – let alone voicing our thoughts out loud – builds self-confidence. Going a step further to attempt guessing the grape or style of a wine served blind requires a dose of humility.
Artistry
Behind every fine wine are layers of storytelling – of the estate, its terroir, of the winemaker and how he or she managed the conditions of a particular vintage to create the end result in the glass. These nuances of taste cannot be recreated by a machine – they rely on the expert human intervention of someone marrying science and art to create luxury consumables designed to stand the test of time in bottle.
Patience
Last but not least, appreciating fine wines teaches us to have patience. They say that good things come to those who wait – a maxim never truer than for a bottle of fine wine, allowed to age and opened at its prime. As the perfect antidote to generations of consumers driven by immediacy, the finite nature of fine wine offers a valuable lesson both in exercising restraint for deferred gratification, and in savouring the moment when it finally arrives.
We’ve witnessed an increase in disinterested parties delving into wine investment for pure financial diversification in recent years (with, it must be said, unrealistic expectations of hefty returns and a swift exit). While steady returns in the long term are a given if the wine is properly sourced and selected, our approach is and always will be to look further than this for the genuine benefits of investing in wine.
Aside from the aforementioned gains and strong downside protection, one of the greatest advantages in possessing a collection of the finest wines of today is participation in cultural preservation. After all, the bottles themselves are treasures of humanity that must be protected, and allowed to transcend generations to come.