De-mystifying Extreme Wine

D’Aun and I have had our share of “extreme wine” experiences. From staying with a friend at his chateau in Bordeaux, to our recent day with the owner of Vine Hill Ranch, it’s been a journey of discovery. We also had an incredible experience at Realm Cellars — probably the best wine tasting we ever had. If you want to splurge, buy a bottle of Realm.

So what is extreme wine? Mike Veseth wrote Extreme Wine: Searching the World for the Best, the Worst, the Outrageously Cheap, the Insanely Overpriced, and the Undiscovered to explore the outer limits of the wine world. From Russia to Two Buck Chuck, he ignores Bordeaux and Napa, and instead focuses on the fringes of the wine world. It’s a fun book.

At one point Veseth praises one of my favorite TV shows. Oz & James Big Wine Adventure – California and Oz & James Big French Wine Adventure are very funny accounts of an expert (Oz Clarke) and a gearhead (James May of Top Gear fame) seeking the true meaning of wine. Oz tries his best to educate James, and James does his best to “de-mystify” wine.

De-mystify?

All of us have seen books, shows, seminars and articles about “de-mystifying” wine.  Experts promise to make it more understandable, more approachable, and easier to love.

But that’s just nonsense. Look, if you want a beverage without mystery, buy a Red Bull.

Anyway, in the end, despite his average-Joe desire to find simplicity in wine, James May embraces the idea that mystery is the unique beauty of wine. The unpredictability is what makes it so different from other beverages. A bottle of Pepsi tastes the same every time, which is a wonder of modern manufacturing but also the death of mystery. But with wine it is always a new experience when you open a bottle.

Several years ago I wrote a post attempting to explain why I love wine (it remains one of the top hits from people who find this blog via Google). The main point I make in the post is about the joy of discovery in each bottle. Every uncorked bottle is a new mystery to be unraveled.

Extreme Wine and the Clarke/May shows look at the same idea in different ways. Both ignore the crazy notion of “de-mystifying” wine and instead embrace the mystery itself. It’s a great way to enjoy God’s gift of crushed grapes.

For that matter, it’s a great way to enjoy life.