Wine in evolution

Like coffee, wine has travelled a long way down the corridors of time and space, reaching far and distant lands from its place of origin. A cornerstone and source of wealth of many a civilisation along the course of history, it is a catalyst of social exchange like few others. Wine-making knowledge is extensive and manifold, for it entails knowing about nature as much as of culture. It has marked the daily passing of time for many diverse peoples of different language and religion, representing for them a means for expanding their knowledge and know-how.
We discussed these topics and more with Mario Fregoni, full professor of vine-growing at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza Campus, and Honorary President of the International Vine and Wine Organisation (OIV).

What are the origins of vinegrowing?
It all started in the Middle East, in the Caucasus. More precisely on Mount Ararat, a place steeped in myth and legend. It’s the place where Noah’s Ark came to rest. And it’s the place where humans first started growing Vitis vinifera and hence making wine, at about the time they stopped being nomads and set up permanent settlements. Vines need tending to all year round, so there was no alternative but to settle down. The peoples living in Georgia, the Crimea, Turkey, Mesopotamia, and outlying regions around eight thousand years B.C. hit upon the idea and the beverage first. It was there and then that wine started its long journey through history.

Can you tell us something of its journey down to our times?
Well, from the Caucasus it moved into Persia, the modern day Iran and Iraq, and then on down to Egypt and across to Greece. It arrived into mainland Italy through Sicily about 4000 years ago. Wine-making knowledge and practice was given great impetus by the Etruscans first followed by the Romans. It was taken into northern Europe over Roman roads and waterways. Today wine is a worldwide beverage and business. Countries that until a few years ago lacked any vine-growing or wine-making tradition have now begun producing it themselves.

But today new beverages are being churned out all the time.
Wine, coffee, tea, oil have all been around for ages now. Attempts have recently been made to mix wine and fruit juices, but without much success. New drinks are mostly intended as thirst-quenchers. Those with history behind them are more associated with food, feasting, and above all socialising. They are bearers of a precious legacy and hence more steeped in culture and tradition.

French and Italian wines have traditionally been considered the best. Is it still so?
China and Turkey are today emerging countries for wine production and consumption. Competition can really be said to be a nuisance, though, from countries in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa. Production costs are far lower and the climate is ideal for vine-growing.
Italy’s played a big role in conveying vine-growing and wine-making know-how to these countries. Actually, a lot of the scions in “breeches” imported by these countries originated in Italy. Today, Italy is still the number one supplier of winemaking technology to these new producers. Italy is still managing to keep the lead. But the countries that originally turned to Italy to acquire the necessary know-how and technology are now developing their own, which makes them even more competitive.

But how do they stand up quality-wise?
They’re making good wines alright, but not excellent ones.
Modern-day technology makes for appreciable results. There are two schools of thought, though, on the matter. Territory and tradition are guiding principles in the Latin school, and these two factors make for great diversity and originality. In new world countries vine variety and label come first. The result is only a few types of wine, but with marked characteristics.
French and Italian wines are still at the top, though. They’re the ones that get beaten at the highest bids at auctions.

What makes for excellence, then?
In a nutshell, it’s starting out with the best raw materials and improving on them. Prime quality’s got to be there from the start; location is what puts originality into the wine; and then human know-how, experience, and sensibility make for that special, extra touch.
Grape processing isn’t something that can be made up out of nothing. Blending, for instance, is an art that takes centuries to perfect. Coming up with a unique and perfect blend requires a rich humus of tradition. Technology can go so far; to reach beyond requires human sense and sensibility.

Tasters are indispensable, then, are they?
No doubt about it. Like for coffee, tasting and hence the tasters opinion are at the basis of grape variety selection and blending. We’ve been running a year-long postgraduate specialisation course on sensorial analysis for the last five years now at our Piacenza campus. It’s chiefly focused on wine, but there are also incursions into the realms of coffee and other foods and beverages. Actually, the course avails itself of professional coffee tasters for the sensorial part. The complex fragrances and flavour of coffee afford the perfect training- and testing ground for developing its participants’ olfactory skills.