Corey Pierce
Unraveling the politics behind typicity
Ever since the rebel Gaulish chieftain Vercingetorix refused to drink Roman wine from Caesar’s goblet wine has often been at the centre of political tensions. Just recently many grape growers in the south of France have banded together to protest what they see as the failure of their government to protect their economic interests — some have even gone so far as bombing and vandalizing state property. Closer to home in my capacity as a bottle monkey in a local wine shop I’ve heard many an American tourist “just say no” to French wine in the aftermath of 9/11. So coupled with our own growing awareness of the serious issues surrounding our food supply this writer thought it time to argue for drinking one’s beliefs.
Case in point — for most of us wine geeks although there remain questions over what is practicable in certain geographic and climactic regions almost invariably those producers who practise sustainable viticulture make better wine. The reason is quite simple: the attention to detail implicit in organic grape growing leads to superior fruit which is an absolute prerequisite for high quality wine. That level of focus more often than not results in better decisions during the winemaking process as well. So better wine can actually lead to a healthier environment in that responsible choices regarding fertilizers irrigation methods and the chemicals used to control fungus and rot lead to healthier soils and groundwater. Another factor to consider is that there is often an inverse ratio between the scale of a particular producer’s operation and the overall quality of the resulting wines. Large-scale producers are often bottom-line based businesses and as such their wines are merely a means to an end — your cash. Their focus is on creating “brands” and are thus almost by definition corporate.
So what do we wine geeks mean by “better” wine? Simply put it is wine characterized by a high degree of typicity . Typicity is a positive term used to describe the degree to which a particular wine reflects its geographic climactic and cultural (as in the local viticultural practice) origin. Apropos does this Napa Cabernet taste like a Napa Cabernet should? However the brand folk mentioned above predictably maintain that the idea of typicity is cowshit (also a traditional fertilizer much despised by them mainly for economic reasons of course). For them typicity is anachronistic elitist and even worse in their view “unscientific.” I leave it up to you to imagine where these folk fall on the political spectrum.
Ironically we wine geeks are the absolutists in the debate. We tend to think these are distinctions worth making as opposed to simply asking ourselves does this Napa Cabernet taste “good”? In some countries such as France typicity is the bedrock of a qualitative hierarchy that is the actual law of the land: most of the quality French wine is actually tested for typicity with the classification printed on its label. And the producers who form the elite in this hierarchy are — you guessed it — largely practising organic viticulture.
So how does typicity taste ? Does it taste “good”? It’s initially elusive of course — but therein lies its charm. Where is the mystery and adventure in anything if it is immediately quantifiable? However with experience there comes a moment in every wine drinker’s life when he or she experiences the revelation that there is indeed a difference between Pinot grown in California and in Burgundy. Now whether one “likes” one or the other is irrelevant — the point is they are different and it follows that they should be. The liking is mere personal taste and since we all know the personal is political beware the tyranny of liking as it will never lead you to discover the truly unique wines the wines that will entice you to expand your organoleptic horizons. Over time liking will give way to appreciation until finally they become one and the same thing.
Finally what’s truly interesting about all this is that the more typicity a wine has the more persuasive its argument for sustainable viticulture and by logical extension the type of democracy where differences are celebrated and revered. Typicity is wine not by polls but by the spirit.
And c heck out the documentary Mondovino if you want a more in-depth philosophical exploration of how the politics of capitalism is playing out in the world of wine.
