High in the responses, in the top dozen, in fact, was, ‘the ability to distinguish fine wine’. Books wrote of wine being a ‘French Emblem’. Can you imagine many – or maybe any –other country giving that response?
Things may be changing, though. More recently, a 2014 survey by the French magazine Terre de Vins (Wine Country) found results which quite contradict the above. A survey of wine drinkers found that 71% said they did not know much about wine and of these 43% admitted they knew nothing at all. Only 3% suggested they were competent in the subject and 26% said they "knew enough". These are wine drinkers, imagine adding the results of non-wine imbibers.
This might not raise any eyebrows in most New World wine countries (and I include SA here) as enjoyment does not require understanding; but this is France, remember – the cradle of all things vinous, the soul of fine wine, the nation where infants prefer Cabernet to milk. Yet only 3% understand it!
The magazine called for more wine education and lamented the fact that, ‘learning about wine is seen as still very elitist in French society and also a feeling – real or supposed – that those households with limited purchasing power cannot afford quality wines’. A 2014 web article on the ‘Culture of Wine in France’ fuelled this attitude; ‘where buying a bottle is a ceremony and tasting is an art’. Heck. Marion Demossier in ‘The Quest for Identities: Consumption of Wine in France’ hit out as only a sociologist can, with, ‘..an elitist and empowering culture of wine which separates the amateurs from the drinkers and thus makes it inaccessible for the average French person’.
Here is where South Africa scores. Wine education here and in many other – mainly New World – countries (and I say this as a student of US, Australian and SA courses) is anything but elitist, less so UK courses, I found. Yes, many courses require a fee, but it is in comparison to most very reasonable (and in comparison to the US and Europe positively cheap) and many students are sponsored by the CWA, ICWM, trade or the Government. In South Africa, wine education can most definitely lead to employment more easily than in France, I imagine. There have been many such successes, visible in wine businesses, restaurants, and tasting rooms around the country. Wine producers are keen that their sales and marketing staff undergo wine education courses and both benefit – as does the customer. Protégées emerging from programmes sponsored by the Cape Winemakers Guild, the Pinotage Youth Development Academy, Veritas, VinPro Foundation and others.
Wine Training SA, WSET, Cape Wine Academy, SA CellarWorker programs, Circle of Excellence, SKOP, SASA (South African Sommeliers' Association) are but a few organisations who prove the effectiveness and fairly level-playing field of wine education. Many will become future industry leaders and winemakers though as Judy Brower points out (‘Education, education, education and again education’ 25/5/16), ‘many of these graduates have gone on to make a real difference in their lives, which is really what education is about’.
Another goal to South Africa; ‘In general, French people think the wine world is complicated. Because behind the taste there is a whole universe, a language and they fear expressing an opinion about it’. No such fear outside of France, perhaps. A recent free online wine course (AU$50 to claim a Certificate) called, ‘World of Wine: From Grape to Glass’ run by the University of Adelaide immediately had 11,300 people sign up and since it began more than 50,000 people from 160 countries have completed the course.
Wine education in SA is all about demystifying wine, debunking pompous language and removing snobbery. I’m not sure we would take the next step the French authors recommend, though; ‘What surprised us most is that 51% of people thought youngsters should learn about wine through tastings at the age of 17 to combat binge-drinking. As the legal age to drink [alcohol] is 18 this breaks something of a taboo.’ Can’t see that happening.
Contrast the position in France to that in Germany. In July this year a study done for Wine Intelligence (David Thompson, 25/07/16) found that increasing numbers of German people are becoming interested in wine and that already more than a third are ‘highly involved’ with wine as part of their lifestyle. The study found that 4 in 10 people felt wine was important to their way of life and – marketers take note – the number one purchasing criteria was not price, varietal or a pretty label, but the wine’s provenance.
Wine education is important, then, not only for the interested to get a better understanding of what is behind the wine, but for those meeting wine for the first time. By demystifying wine and increasing its accessibility it might be possible to spread consumption (responsibly, of course) to more of the populace. Imagine the boost for industry if we too had 40% of society highly involved in wine.
Cape Winemakers Guild Protégés for 2016 (left to right): Mahalia Matshete, Maryna Huysamen, Kiara Scott, Rose Kruger, Sydney Mello, Clayton Christians, Banele Vakele, Logan Jooste