Wine and War – Can they be related?

‘Wine and War? How can the two ever go together?’ – asked a (clueless) television producer.

Well, they should have attended the truly awesome Wines of Armenia Masterclass organised by @cristienorman_somm . It epitomized for me how wine is a Lens to view the world and is inextricably bound up in the global and the human.

The first 40 minutes was dedicated to teaching non- Armenians about the current events and why it should matter to US citizens. This was eloquently done by attorney Emmy Mnatsakanian. The second half was a tasting of 6 delicious wines which came from the area of conflict – Nagorno Karabakh. This was admirably achieved in 40 minutes by @anushik_armeniangirlsomm – a wine producer and organizer of the Armenian Wine festival.

Wines can absolutely be judged just on what’s in the glass. But I think they can only truly be appreciated by the stories behind them and in how you engage whilst tasting each sip. Today’s tasting I smiled less but my mind exponentially grew. The news in the States is ridiculously confusing and it is crazy the amount of cyber wars which are happening on this subject. After 1hr and 30 mins I felt immensely more informed regarding a contemporary global conflict, enchanted by tastes from a country which I had never tried wines from before and I am resolved to educate myself more on this devastating issue.

Whether that is following certain credible Twitter accounts as well as reading reliable sources online.

There have not been many 90 minutes quite like it and definitely not at a wine tasting. The wines themselves were all so expressive and transportive in their various ways; and yet I finished the tasting with a bitter sweet taste in my mouth. And that is ok. More than ok. Some wine experiences you can enjoy and reflect on in the moment. And just as quickly as they were enjoyed – they fleetingly disappear. Others are haunting in their beauty and linger in your thoughts much longer…

I raise a cheers for both and I raise an extra cheers for the hosts and organizers for today’s event. I hope that these wines and the conversations shared today linger on my mind for a long time to come…