By Asta Ponzo
The temperament of wine
Times change, customs evolve, and wine culture is no exception. If there was a time when wine was a man’s business, it is undeniable that today the world of wine boasts a number of female references and successful women.
The real victory is not the one we might imagine. Beyond the social gains and the changing view of women’s status, the real victory is that of having succeeded in letting the female senses speak for themselves, and of having succeeded in asserting a feminine perception in a field that was traditionally reserved for men.
According to anecdotal evidence, in ancient Rome women were not only strictly forbidden from drinking wine, but could not even consume it undetected, a reference to the tradition of “temetum”, whereby a woman had to kiss her parents on the lips, thus attesting to her abstinence. If an unfortunate woman was found out in this way, various punishments would ensue.
“In short, trust a woman's nose,
her heart beats close by.”
Several millennia later, thank goodness, women are asserting themselves, tasting wine in their own delicate way, envisioning, musing, and sharing unexpected and unusual flavour references. The very nature of women allows them this volubility. Accustomed to evolving in a world of scents, they naturally propose a sensory reading that is altogether different from that of men. Without fear, a woman will acknowledge her ignorance, opening the way to learning, underlining the differences, turning them into strengths. In short, trust a woman's nose, her heart beats close by.
Lalou Bize-Leroy,
Anne Gros,
Saskia de Rothschild,
Anne Vatan,
Pauline Vauthier,
Caroline Frey…
The wines of the French vineyards, particularly those of Burgundy, are very popular with women. The subtlety of the land, the hand of man, and the hand of women, like Lalou Bize-Leroy, Anne Gros, Saskia de Rothschild, Anne Vatan, Pauline Vauthier, Caroline Frey… to name but a few. France, a treasure of prestigious terroirs, where the subtleties of the different domaines blend together without ever becoming confused, to produce divine elixirs, steeped in complexity.
This is what seduces women, intoxicates and enchants them, the subtlety of the notes and not the prestige of the label. But the fact remains that, thanks to her self-confidence and faith she places in her senses, a woman is rarely mistaken, and from the very first tastings she demonstrates a delightful ability to love what is beautiful and, even more so, what is good.
