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"Is wine an arbitrary product that should simply be left to conventional market mechanisms? Or is it a multifaceted cultural asset whose complexity defies mundane assessments?" From this - rhetorically pointed - question, the Berlin author Rainer Balcerowiak, political editor and wine columnist of the left-wing daily newspaper "Junge Welt", develops an enjoyable, intelligent essay about genuine wine culture, herd instinct, bigotry and globalization.

His book is not the umpteenth guidebook with tips that have already been read umpteen times, but a plea for a wine culture that is unprejudiced in every respect, in 21 chapters. In a casual tone, sometimes nicely flippant, occasionally finely ironic, he develops a personal, pointed and (self-)critical view on wine and its players: producers, associations, traders, advertising and marketing experts as well as journalists.

They exist, the good and affordable wines
For him, the idea of a democratic wine culture means above all "entelitization of wine enjoyment". Thus, his scale for the classification of wines does not run in abstract points but simply and steplessly between "great" and "horrible". For him, the world of wine does not consist of the best and best bottles, but above all of good, honest and clearly structured wines with a high enjoyment factor: "In any case, I have worked hard to acquire my enjoyment competence and can by no means live it up with a checkbook." He always provides examples of his very personal drinking pleasure for mostly little to very little money. This is Balcerowiak's theme, and it runs through the work: They exist, the really good wines that are affordable to all, but for a variety of reasons get little to no mention in the media.

"My plea for a democratic wine culture, however, does not only refer to the inclusion of materially poorer people", he writes, "also in circles of normal and better earners, one encounters a lot of stupidity, narrow-mindedness and ignorance when it comes to wine. People don't deal with wine but buy their cellar on the basis of recommendations. One likes to invite neighbors and friends to present one's achievements. (...) Anyone who has experienced how a well-heeled 'connoisseur' praises an unfortunately badly corked 2ème Cru of the 80-euro league in the highest tones even after sniffing and sipping it, knows what I'm talking about." Rainer Balcerowiak deals with the partly crazy market mechanisms that vintners are subject to as part of the system and that promote it at the same time - as well as with stubborn organic consumers who cannot be taught that organic does not necessarily taste better.

Improved chances in blind tasting
In the chapter "We are the good guys", he also dares to "try to foul the nest": "Even I - with my wine supplements and columns in the "Junge Welt", truly not one of the big opinion makers - have not only once received blunt inquiries about how, for example, the chances of a wine in a blind tasting could be 'improved'. Or what could be done so that a certain wine would be positively discussed in my column. Many colleagues can report similar things. And in the case of some 'wine reviews', I wonder if they've been helped, or if the writers are simply suffering from a particularly severe form of taste confusion."

He goes on to discuss education, the right to intoxication, the Nazi past of German winegrowers' cooperatives, wine from the north of the republic, and flutes and fatwas. But he always returns. To the real, honest wines. Without top scores, medals, brochures, cheers on command and optimized marketing. They are the "heroes of everyday life". He who seeks - finds. It's good that someone has finally written this down.

Rainer Balcerowiak
The democratic wine book
Mondo Heidelberg
14,95 €
ISBN: 393883918X

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