“Why all the interest in the humble grape – a small, insignificant fruit?

Well, the process of turning grapes into wine has a great tradition and a rich history across the globe. But the wine industry also has an image of being pretentious and elitist. I’m not going to defend this. I think that in many cases this view is justified.

The Curious Grape aims to change this. We’re on a mission to make wine fun and accessible. But why? Where did this all begin?

Growing up in Croydon, saaff London, in the 80s and 90s, (this blog was nearly called CroydonWineBoy), my love of wine was originally treated with some skepticism and questioning. “Why aren’t you drinking beer” and “what’s with the girlie drink?” were common questions.

My answer was simple. I didn’t like the volume of beer/lager or the gas (both in the lager and what came out afterwards). So I turned to wine. Which in Croydon proved quite a challenge at the time given the quality (or lack of) in bars and restaurants. Actually, this wasn’t just a Croydon thing, it seemed it was UK-wide…

…Fast forward twenty years of drinking wine as well as completing level 2 and level 3 qualifications in the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (which I totally recommend), and my love of wine has become much more than merely an alternative to beer.

So why have I fallen in love with it? I think there are three main reasons:

1. I became intrigued as to why I liked certain wines and disliked others. What was it about them? Take this a step further and I was fascinated how one wine could taste so different to another, even when made from the same grape and in the same region.
2. Wine has a fascinating history, which dates back centuries and from all over the world. This means I can combine my love of travel and exploration with wine.
3. Most of all, wine appeals to both sides of my brain. It appeals to the logical, scientific part. Here, the science of wine comes into focus – the components of the grape which add flavours to the wine, the impact of the soil and climate and so on. It also appeals to the creative side of my mind. This is where the art of wine comes to the fore, where the winemaker influences the outcome through applying their skills in the same way an artist does.

Science + art = great wine (but only if someone likes it!)

I love the fact that wine is the perfect blend of letting nature run its course with the right amount of human intervention to create a wine that is truly unique.

And yet, ultimately, it is all about personal taste too! And this is something that is in our control. Without our approval and wanting to buy more, the efforts of the winemaker will amount to nothing.

So come on the journey with us and discover new wines and new approaches to wine.

I’m learning all the time. And thankfully, this requires continuous tasting which, of course, is the best part!

Cheers!

Paul
Wine writer, wine drinkers and founder of The Curious Grape