The uncles of wine

Through no choice of my own, I now find myself playing the role of one of those old uncles who still remember family episodes and stories and who pass them on to the younger generation, to remind them that memories help us understand how and why we exist.

In recent months, I have met many young wine lovers who remind me of myself when I was their age and had before me the likes of Gino Veronelli, Antonio Piccinardi and Angelo Solci. All things considered, and despite the fact that times have profoundly changed, our respective approaches are much the same.

At the time, they, and me today, had a role similar to that of those old uncles who remember family episodes and stores and who, at family gatherings like at Christmas, recall them to their nieces and nephews who sometimes pretend to be hearing them for the first time. In my case, this happens when I tell the stories about how Sassicaia was born, or who Giacomo Tachis or Veronelli were, or what Bartolo Mascarelli really believed, or when and how Josko Gravner embarked on his adventure, and I see these young people so wide-eyed and entranced as they listen to things they knew nothing about.

Being a former teacher, this is gives me great satisfaction and has, above all, shown me that a lot of time has gone by and that I am now “differently young” and perhaps, like Francesco Guccini sang, “I still have many stories to tell for those who want to listen...” (I leave out the rest for reasons those who know the song will understand).

These memories are necessary to remember, to understand how and why the world of wine is what it is today, to connect and put into context wines and producers beyond the fad of the day, no matter how interesting and stimulating it may be.

I must confess that many of the young people that I’ve met, as is often the case, are curious and have a great desire to learn. They do not take things for granted and want to have the means to create their own opinion, something that is both understandable and reasonable.

And so carrying on the “uncles of wine” tradition by those who have seen, met and known the great protagonists who set the foundation for the world of wine we know today makes sense. I am certainly by no way the only one who can play such a role. There are many critics, journalists, sommeliers and restauranteurs who have memories and experiences equal to mine. Nevertheless, this is a role that one earns through deeds not words because it is always others who define who we really are.