Teaching is the future

There is a saying of Chairman Mao that I am particular fond of that goes: “If you see someone is hungry, don’t give him a fish but teach him to fish”. Perhaps it is because I used to be a school teacher or because I have taught hundreds of wine appreciation courses, but I have to admit that for me education has always been a precise and essential point of reference. It is even more so today, in the age of Internet, because, in my opinion, it is very important to give the people the tools they need to find their own way. And if it is true, as I think it is, that the era of the ‘guru’ or the ‘man in charge’ has decidedly ended, then perhaps the most important role that someone who knows can play is to help others find out for themselves. This does not mean imposing one’s own knowledge onto someone else, sic et simplicter, but to help them develop the tools they need to form their own opinion. To this aim, wine courses and publications, as well as those dealing with food, which are inspired by a modern and agile educational approach and are scientifically ‘equipped’ can play an important role. Of course, it remains to be seen how to make this come about but the various associations that organize appreciation courses have within their fold a slew of experts, including university professors and researchers, who are more than qualified to develop courses and indicate the materials needed. There is some movement in this direction, in particular involving the Italian Sommeliers’ Association (AIS) and the National Wine Tasters’ Organization (ONAV), and it could expand further with the collaboration of all the other sommelier and taster organizations. And this could even take place under the aegis of the National Wine Council that was created last year with the participation of almost all sector groups. This could and should be the future for the wine sector.