Like all children, I was taught at a young age that wine is made from grapes. I thought that this could only be the result of magic, and it turns out that I wasn’t really wrong about that. In fact, it is the truth, as I realised when I started my studies. I’m a graduate student at the Department of Oenology and Beverage Technology of the University of West Attica and I’m taking my first steps in the wine world. It wasn’t a very informed choice when I started out, but now, I wouldn’t change a thing.
During my studies, I met professors and professionals in the field whose eyes unmistakably conveyed their love of oenology. So eventually, I started looking for what it is that makes these people’s eyes glow when they talk about wine.
In the second year of my studies, I had the opportunity to travel with my teachers and fellow students to the wineries of Northern Greece. It was my first experience of such places, and the opportunity I had to taste some of the most famous Greek wines was for me another reason to pursue this profession. I saw a world where the meticulous production process becomes a sacrament, simply because of the love and respect that those who are involved with wine feel and should feel.
In the 4th year of my studies, I had the opportunity to travel to regions of France (Bordeaux) and Spain (Barcelona), to visit some of the best wine producers in the world. I was impressed by their organisation and attention to detail: it was a life-changing experience that taught me that we should always strive for the best and develop both as people and as professionals.
‘Wine maketh glad the heart of man’, seven words that capture the mood and feeling of anyone who comes into contact with the whole production process. From the first traces of the vine on the ground to the bottling, and finally the tasting.
I have been doing an internship at the Strofilia Estate for 4 months now. I work mainly in the field of production and laboratory analysis. Strofilia has shown me that oenology combines art with science, curiosity with experience, and passion with imagination. The process of winemaking is a path that has no prescribed course, and does not only have oenologists and winemakers for guides, but is influenced by many factors that are constantly changing. This in itself makes this art or science so attractive in my eyes.
Millions of people on earth, myself included, have made the direct connection between wine and pleasure. It is a journey of flavours and aromas that has a different destination for each individual. ‘One sip, a thousand words’ is something that could abstractly sum up the meaning of wine tasting, a process where the taster is asked to describe in words the flavour and aroma of the wine he tastes.
The deeper I get into winemaking, the more I realise that my studies were just a bite of the appetiser at a rich dinner, intended to make me pour more wine; in fact, it might well have been just the first drop in an excellent bottle.
