Of all the paradoxes that exist in wine, one in particular continues to tickle. In a world becoming more casual by the app, with a population apparently deserting the good and the great for the casual and the deconstructed, the ritual of wine connoisseurship is becoming more popular, instead of fading into the boneyard of high-culture customs alongside marble carvings and fresco paintings. WSET schools are spreading like IKEAs, prospective Masters of Wine are signing up in droves, and the culture of wine tastings and dinners (such as the –...
Wine as membership
Monday 29 October 2018
Our most philosophically thoughtful columnist considers the polis of wine.
Become a member to continue reading
Celebrating 25 years of building the world’s most trusted wine community
In honour of our anniversary, enjoy 25% off all annual and gift memberships for a limited time.
Use code HOLIDAY25 to join our community of wine experts and enthusiasts. Valid through 1 January.
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 286,166 wine reviews & 15,819 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 286,166 wine reviews & 15,819 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 286,166 wine reviews & 15,819 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 286,166 wine reviews & 15,819 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Andrea's salon
Andrea's salon
A continuation of Andrea's search for the perfect wine dinner for her friends. See part 1. The origins of the...
Andrea's salon
The first of a two-part muse on a topic that may well be of particular interest to visitors to JancisRobinson.com...
Andrea's salon
What to take from home when embarking on a long journey abroad? There are the practical effects one needs for...
Andrea's salon
I’ve long been troubled by the disparity between the enormous, glorious galaxy of feelings that wine elicits, and the narrow...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Tasting articles
A comparative tasting of champagne from the highly acclaimed 1996 vintage and the overshadowed 1995. And a daring way to...
Nick on restaurants
An annual round-up of gastronomic pleasure. Above, the German island of Sylt which provided Nick with an excess of it...
Inside information
The penultimate episode of a seven-part podcast series giving the definitive story of Jancis’s life and career so far. For...
Wine news in 5
Plus potential fraud in Vinho Verde, China’s recognition of Burgundy appellations, and the campaign for protected land in Australia’s Barossa...
Free for all
Go on, spoil yourself! A version of this article is published by the Financial Times . Above, my glasses being...
Tasting articles
Sherry, port and Madeira in profusion. This is surely the time of year when you can allow yourself to take...
Wines of the week
A brilliantly buzzy white wine with the power to transform deliciously over many years. And prices start at just €19.90...
Inside information
On South Africa’s remote West Coast an unlikely fortified-wine revival is taking place. Malu Lambert reports.
Saldanha’s castle is an...