This is a lesson about life, in general. I believe that the Buddhist call this having the "beginner's mind." And I really think that this mindset makes life amazing - filled with awe.
I am new into wine. I had my first sip of wine after the age of forty. I still have never been drunk. In fact, last night was the first time in my life to drink in a social setting (at the age of 46). I have an untrained palette. Noob squared.
But, this education has been exhilarating. I have gotten so used to doing what I do and knowing what I know, I had forgotten there is are worlds of things I don't know. It's been fun to pour through books, take classes, and just have an experience.
Great post and reminder to forget the ego. It's okay not to know the answers. In fact, life can be a lot more fun when we ask rather than answer!
I was just thinking about this recently, considering that there are so many other "complicated" things in the world that don't seem to intinidate people the way wine does. And I think it might come down to how "assured" and "we have the answers" wine people try to act. You know what else is complicated? Cooking. But once upon a time nearly everyone cooked. We still give people recipes, with instructions that are loosey-goosey (2-3 minutes, under med to med-high heat, roughly 1 inch pieces, salt and pepper to taste, etc.) And it's been interesting seeing the rise of cooking shows and instagrammable home cooking that has since intimidated younger generations in ways older generations never felt. Now we have professional chefs and culinary students posting home meals that look impossible, and now younger people are cooking less because why bother if you can't make something that requires that much know-how and skill?
Likewise, wine showcases itself in its truest and best light when we don't pretend that it's always instagrammable, full of explicit meaning and value, when we don't claim to have all the answers, when we admit there isn't a single answer to anything, that individual people won't agree based on their personal palates, etc. Wine is as varied as cuisine. And to almost every question that could be asked about either, the answer is almost always: "it depends."
Exactly. Obviously it's great to learn and accumulate knowledge and the more committed you are rather deeper you go.
But, wine can also be super accessible like cooking, in that it should be there to try and enjoy without making knowing EVERYTHING the end goal. As always, those in the know need to wear their learning lightly.
This is a lesson about life, in general. I believe that the Buddhist call this having the "beginner's mind." And I really think that this mindset makes life amazing - filled with awe.
I am new into wine. I had my first sip of wine after the age of forty. I still have never been drunk. In fact, last night was the first time in my life to drink in a social setting (at the age of 46). I have an untrained palette. Noob squared.
But, this education has been exhilarating. I have gotten so used to doing what I do and knowing what I know, I had forgotten there is are worlds of things I don't know. It's been fun to pour through books, take classes, and just have an experience.
Great post and reminder to forget the ego. It's okay not to know the answers. In fact, life can be a lot more fun when we ask rather than answer!
Yes indeed, finding out is often much more fun than simply knowing.
And I didn't know about the beginner's mind but I like it.
I was just thinking about this recently, considering that there are so many other "complicated" things in the world that don't seem to intinidate people the way wine does. And I think it might come down to how "assured" and "we have the answers" wine people try to act. You know what else is complicated? Cooking. But once upon a time nearly everyone cooked. We still give people recipes, with instructions that are loosey-goosey (2-3 minutes, under med to med-high heat, roughly 1 inch pieces, salt and pepper to taste, etc.) And it's been interesting seeing the rise of cooking shows and instagrammable home cooking that has since intimidated younger generations in ways older generations never felt. Now we have professional chefs and culinary students posting home meals that look impossible, and now younger people are cooking less because why bother if you can't make something that requires that much know-how and skill?
Likewise, wine showcases itself in its truest and best light when we don't pretend that it's always instagrammable, full of explicit meaning and value, when we don't claim to have all the answers, when we admit there isn't a single answer to anything, that individual people won't agree based on their personal palates, etc. Wine is as varied as cuisine. And to almost every question that could be asked about either, the answer is almost always: "it depends."
Exactly. Obviously it's great to learn and accumulate knowledge and the more committed you are rather deeper you go.
But, wine can also be super accessible like cooking, in that it should be there to try and enjoy without making knowing EVERYTHING the end goal. As always, those in the know need to wear their learning lightly.