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Wine Isn’t Just a Drink, It’s a Culture
A generous, geeky, nature-driven culture that made me who I am today
It’s 5.02pm. The wine bar opened at 5. We’re here early because it’s the bar’s second birthday. Over those years the owner has become a firm friend. The sort of friend you need when you live abroad and friends aren’t just a nice-to-have.
They’re essential.
The situation calls for Champagne. Good Champagne. It pops, it pours, and we fall silent, as wine pros do when excellent wine is on the table. My friend whips out his phone and shows us pictures of when he was fortunate enough to visit the domaine. We observe the rare black silex rocks, whose influence makes this particular Champagne so special.
In essence, we geek out.
The night goes on and more people arrive. Porto has a small wine trade so we know 70% of the faces that come through the door. We start as a three, we end the night with 20.
This feels like belonging, I think. Wine always does. Wherever you are in the world, if there is a wine trade, there are potential friends to make. They’re always ready with a bottle and a generosity of pour. They’ve always got a tidbit of gossip about a famous winemaker in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal.
