The Wine Country Philosophy of Wine

by Randy Kemner

Wine is the only beverage in the world that spawns discussion of the philosophy of its purpose. The cultural, historic and stylistic variations are endless, and the ever-changing nature of wine mirrors life itself.

At The Wine Country we believe that wine is an important part of a life well-lived, but not life's central focus. Wines are a fascinating reflection of the culture, history and natural environment of a specific region, and wine's authenticism should derive from its relationship to the land and to its people, not the current demands of the marketplace.

In our opinion, wine is for pleasure, and for its best effect should be a shared experience, preferably at a dinner table. As such, wine is a communal beverage, part of a greater experience of nurturing family, friends and acquaintances. It facilitates greater communication, opens the heart and cheers the spirit.

Occasionally wine can create a profound experience of sensual pleasure, awe-inspiring history and an almost reverential tribute to the sacrifice of those living and dead that helped create it. One cannot drink an old Madeira without reflecting on the generations that have come and gone producing and sharing the venerable wine. The steep vineyards of Germany's Mosel Valley often have to be maintained and harvested by workers lowered by cables.

Even the modest wines made for everyday consumption are the products of intense labor by teams of workers in the vineyard and dedicated winemakers working around the clock at harvest, all to make our lives a little more pleasurable.

At The Wine Country we celebrate the grower-winemaker whose work in the vineyard goes into the bottle. His reputation informs every bottling, every vintage, and the finest producers make the sacrifices necessary--even skipping entire vintages--to bring us interesting and satisfying wine. We believe that wine should reflect its terroir, that wine shouldn't taste too alcoholic, too oaky or too manipulated, that it is first and foremost the product of grapes.

The Wine Country rejects most wines that are calculated and formulated for mass appeal, manipulated to stay the same year after year, fighting Nature's annual changes. Instead, we salute wines that reflect the climate, the soil and the character of the time, place and people making it.

We love the saying, "What grows together, goes together" when selecting wine for our table. That's why we drink Italian when we eat Italian, drink French when we drink French, drink German when we eat German and drink beer when we eat spicy foods!

Perhaps most importantly to you, our business philosophy centers around the needs of our customer and his or her satisfaction with the wines we offer. We are as likely to recommend a wine less expensive than the price our customers have in mind because we believe in quality and appropriateness for the occasion. Word of mouth has been our most effective advertising and our business wouldn't have succeeded without the enthusiastic endorsement of our return customers.

If we don't have the answer for your question, then we'll find out and get back to you. We never misrepresent the wines we carry, for it is in The Wine Country inventory only because we endorse it. We have little patience with 100 point scores, which any honest wine merchant will tell you is unreliable at selecting wines you will ultimately enjoy. In short, we listen to our customers and love to share our knowledge and experience.