From many threads

The influence of the Age of Enlightenment was but part of the mosaic of wine’s evolution. It all began from the humble—and possibly accidental— discovery of fermented juice from split grapes. Today, the wine industry is enormous.

Throughout the ages, various civilizations have endeavoured to perfect and improve wine. Roman patricians took immense pride in their vineyards, and constantly sought to improve methods of production and quality of wine. Cistercian monks redefined attention to detail in Burgundy—some vineyards still retain monastic names and continue that devotion to quality by maintaining historic records and methods. In the late 1800s, vines were assaulted by a number of diseases that eventually mandated the replanting of all the European vines with disease-resistant hybrids. The suspect quality of wine afterwards caused a decline in demand that did not return to pre-phylloxera levels until the mid-1930s. From one adversity to another, the fabric of winemaking has been woven from many different threads.

The evolution of storage technology has helped along the way. Barrels were, at one time, the most common container used to transport, store and dispense wine. But once the cask was tapped, the wine’s longevity was compromised by its reaction to oxygen. And then bottles became mass produced to solve that problem. The introduction of stainless steel was yet another tool that was readily embraced by the winemakers. More recently, the reintroduction of concrete tanks and “eggs” has been enthusiastically embraced by winemakers striving to create unique wines.

The accumulation of 8,000 years of vineyard husbandry and wine-making knowledge reveal mankind’s ongoing love affair with wine. As the new markets open up, demand           for wine will continue to grow—and new chapters of wine knowledge will continue to be written.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I tasted a unique beer from Barley Days Brewery this week. What a gem.

The Sacred Mule Sparkling Ale is made in the style of a Czech pilsner with one major addition: they add a yeast most commonly used in sparkling wine fermentation. It has a remarkable influence on the beer—the flavours are crisp and clean, with light citrus notes. Brewmaster Alex Nichols has done well with this aptly named ale.

Barley Days Sacred Mule is available at the brewery, 13730 Loyalist Parkway, just west of Picton.