"think, for a moment, of an almost paper-white
glass of liquid, just shot with green-gold,
just tart on your tongue, full of wild flower scents
and spring water freshness. wine is grape juice. every drop of liquid filling so
many bottles has been drawn out of the ground
by the roots of a vine. all these different drinks
have at one time been sap in a stick. it is the
first of many strange and so
me -- despite modern
research -- mysterious circumstances which go
to make wine not only the most delicious, but
the most fascinating, drink in the world. it would not be so fascinating if there were not so
many different kinds. although there are people who do not care for it, and who think it no more than a nuisance that a wine list has so many names on it, the whole reason that wine is worth study is its variety."
-Hugh Johnson, Wine, 1966