Red Wine is Good: What We Can Learn from the Grapes

Andrew Fusco

Ever since 6000 BC humanity has looked towards intoxicant sour grapes to pull us from our daily strife and to enhance conversation and meal. For ages, humans have sat around tables, broke bread, and drank red wine; a staple tradition of any civilized nation. The dark, rich, and romantic flavors of red wine have been the praise of the noble elite and the common man, alike. Even within the primary world religion, Christianity, red wine has found its home as a sacrament. Red wine is not only a drink but also a sacred teacher. The entire process from vine to glass is one of divine virtue. This is the reason why religious groups, such as Trappist monks, see such importance in the process of making wine. Red wine carries a high content of antioxidants that are linked to preventing cancer and it also thins the blood, reducing risk of heart attack. Red wine is greatly beneficial for philosophical conversation. Red wine allows us to drop the rigid defenses of everyday life and speak with truth and honesty. In moderation, red wine is good, not only for the self but for society, as a whole. 

The process of growing and making good wine is not quick nor easy. The entire process takes great patience, resilience, and tuned-in flow. When growing grapes, it is mother nature who is in control. Good grapes take an entire season to grow and mature. Good wine is never grown indoors, for an indoor environment is not conducive to a good product. Wine requires the aged minerals of old soil that has developed for ages. Indoor growing techniques produce bland, highly acidic wines with little to no character. It is the soil and the outdoor climate that truly brings the wisdom and flavor to this great beverage. 

From the moment the first seeds are planted on the vineyard, God is in control. The seeds may grow fruitful or they may stay stagnant. Even if the conditions for growth are highly probable, there is still a chance there will be no growth. This microlesson from the stagnant seeds shows us that even though we may plan or try to force reality into our small box of control, it is ultimately God who has His hand on the wheel. 

As the grapes grow the vines must endure monsoons, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, diseases, wild animals, cold, heat, and drought. To succeed in growth, the farmer must be tuned-in to the flow of nature. The farmer must understand that the growth of the grapes is God’s will and they must work with the obstacles of nature to ensure production. The growth of wine teaches us the lessons of the importance of struggle, resilience, and patience. The farmer is a servant to the earth as man is a servant to God.

After surviving a long and arduous grow season, the grapes are ready to be fermented. The grapes are pressed and placed into barrels underground to slowly ferment. As the wine ages, the flavor and smoothness increases. Aged wine holds superior character to its younger counterparts, when stored properly. The Bible points out the fact that aged wine holds a superior flavor to newer wines in Luke 5:39, “[And] no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.” This fact that aged wine is better points to the virtue of patience. Without the virtue of patience, one is incapable of tasting the rich flavors of the future. 

When one drinks red wine, it is not an act of senseless chugging or shooting. When someone drinks red wine in such an abusive fashion it could be considered sin. Drinking red wine is an art that is developed upon the pallet of the drinker. One must know how to drink red wine to fully enjoy the array and complexity of flavor. Drinking wine is an act of being in the present moment and taking in all of the wonderous flavors offered. When drinking wine one must concentrate and focus on the character of the wine to be able to properly appreciate it. Each sip acts as a mindful meditation on the richness and depth of not only the glass of wine but also the world around oneself. 

Because of the sacred lessons taught through the grapes, it is no surprise that Christians such as Trappist monks see a great spiritual and religious value in crafting wine. Through the entire process of fermentation, we humans, are reminded what it means to be part of nature and what it means to be human. This is perhaps why Jesus likens wine to his blood. Through the sacrament of the blood of Christ an individual can find salvation, not through the intoxicating effects of wine but through its entire story and process on this planet. Through the growth and fermentation of grapes we can become closer to Christ and more in tune with the reality around us. 

Lastly, there are great physical and social benefits to drinking red wine in moderation. Red wine contains a high count of antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential to the prevention of cancer and lowering the free radical count in the cells of the body. Red wine also promotes good blood flow. When an individual ingests red wine the chemicals within the wine thin the blood in the body. This in turn, prevents heart attacks, blood clots, and brain aneurysms.  Along with this myriad of physical benefits, red wine provides an essential role in social and philosophical situations. Wine allows one to drop their rigid guards and allows individuals to speak from a place of truth. The relaxing effect that wine has on the individual’s anxieties allows people to speak frankly and from the heart. Good red wine can turn the most introverted individual into the king of conversation. 

Overall, red wine hasn’t only proven itself as a great teacher of wisdom and divine lessons but also as a wonderful physical and social enhancer. When individuals are in tune with the world around them, are willing to be resilient through struggle, and have patience, they are more likely to rise out of the mundane suffering and despair of daily life. Wine allows us to commune with the Divine not only by drinking it but also by growing it. Due to these benefits, not only on the self but also society, when wine is ingested in moderation and responsibly, it is good. Cheers!