Beyond the glass?

A growing number of pundits are saying that the time has come to go “beyond the glass”, in other words, to consider a wine Good because it is Clean and Right, leaving aside its organoleptic qualities.

A new point of view is gaining ground in Italiy and this new karma is that of going “beyond the glass”.

What does this mean? From what I have understood it has to do with not taking into account how pleasing a wine is nor its organoleptic characteristics as factors that determine a wine’s quality.

This means that other factors need to be considered like how compatible production was with the environment; its wholesomeness; and even its capacity to bring people together which, according to some, is fundamental and is more important than any organoleptic analysis, which distinguishes between subject and object, an unbearable and “old fashion” dualism.

If you read between the lines, it means that those who focus on aspects dealing with sensorial analyses and the opinions of wine critics are incorrigible fuddy-duddies who are not in tune with the times. And those who take official wine appreciation courses have got it all wrong. And you, which includes me, who try to describe a wine through organoleptic sensations and other aspects related to terroir and various varietals are on the wrong track.

This because apparently wine must be approached from a new angle, one from which we are all united by how a wine brings us together to share common ethical values. No longer Good, Clean and Right but Good because it is Clean and Right, with Good no longer involving a wine’s organoleptic properties. Good thus no longer means just good and even a bad wine can be Good. Pay attention to the capitalization, otherwise nothing will make sense.

Following this logic Beautiful does not mean beautiful but can also be ugly, which might work for me in regard to my personal appearance.

All this reminds me of the reference to the Battleship Potemkin in the film Fantozzi, it has been a year now since its star Paolo Villaggio passed, or Hans Christian Andersen’s lovely story The Emperor’s Clothes.