The Psychology of Wine

Since grape juice was first fermented, wine has captured the human imagination. The mutual relationship between wine and humankind is full of fascinating parallels. When we describe wine we describe ourselves – and the revelations are eye-opening.

Wine is more than merely a drink. It’s an experience with unrivalled sensual and sensory appeal. Wine combines so much of what makes us who we are, individually and culturally – history, mythology, philosophy, psychology, literature, art and even pop-culture. In short, wine rules. And it always has, since before recorded history.

But can this rosy situation continue into the future? The challenges to wine’s ascendency are already mounting. Societal dynamics and generational pressures threaten its privileged position – putting at risk commercial and cultural prospects long taken for granted. What place will wine retain in a society prizing novelty over permanence, and hype over essence? And what compromises might be made inevitable?

Meanwhile, the wine industry sleeps on. Let’s hope it wakes in time to protect millennia-old standards and traditions – and our drinking preferences.