A French gourmand was talking to the Prince of Wales about the art of wine-drinking.
At a great wine we look at its play in the glass, breathe in its fragrance and then...
- We drink it! - the prince interrupted.
- Oh, no, prince - the gourmand went on - first we talk about it.
(Grimod de la Reyniere)
Perhaps here the point starts: one has to honour it. In order to appreciate a wine in an appropriate way, we have to know about it as much as possible. Refined wine consumption is usually connected with some meal, the bouquet of the wine comes to its full display in this way best. "The bed for the wine has to be made" - an old saying says. If wine drinking is not connected to a main meal, it is advisable to found it: with hazel-nuts, almonds, chestnuts, cheese... It is worth consuming wine sip by sip and slowly. "The real master drinks his wine sipping it, because any time he makes a pause he feels the pleasure, that he would have felt if he had emptied his glass at one draught."- Brillat-Savarin wrote.
(Béla Hamvas)At drinking every circumstance is important. The season and hour of the day are to be chosen for the nature of the wine. There are idle wines, flirtatious wines, telling wines, tragic wines. It indicates a high grade of insensitiveness e.g. to drink tragic wine at a merry family dinner. It is the same tastelessness to drink lustful wine at a formal feast. If you are alone and outside, always search view; wine likes height and perspective and likes looking downwards.