This season on Glass in Session® I dug into wine and spirits from regions that, let’s just say, are on the brink. Whether that be what climate change giveth and taketh away (Poland), losing protected lands – and potentially EU status – (Albania), or war (Armenia, Iran, Lebanon), where vineyards have been, and some still are, literal battlegrounds.
While trying to find the hope in the struggles of winemakers and peoples past and present with the future uncertain, all of these episodes pull at a common thread: resilience.
Lebanon
We begin the season in Lebanon which has thousands of years of wine history and culture to explore. Sure we talked about boiled sea snails, Roman temples, and religious influence on our way to no sh*t vineyard bombings. But then we arrived at one of the most emotionally resonant wines on the planet that embody courage and the resilience of the human spirit.
Poland
Moving over to Poland we check out its wine history, regions, grapes, and potential as a wine region on the rise. From the Little Ice Age to modern day climate change, we learn that Poland’s potential to become the epicenter of European wine production in the future is very real.
Albania
Albania took us on a linguistic journey through the history, grapes, and styles of Albanian wine. Meanwhile we learned what eagles and flamingos have to do with any of it. I’m not sure I’ve invoked the power of the flamingo in any past episode; there were lots of firsts for this one.
Armenia
In an ancient wine cave in southern Armenia we begin our trek to a mountain and that dude with the zoo boat. Armenia’s wine history took us through wars and occupations to the conflicts of the present, and how events over millennia are fermented and aged into something beautiful that tells its story in the glass today.
Iran
Oh, and because we can’t escape it, Iran – they make wine there? Iran has an incredibly rich history and culture of winemaking and grape-growing, and is the OG home of the vitis vinifera (wine grape) vine. Before the Iranian Revolution 50 years ago there were about 300 wineries around Iran, and it’s still the third largest producer of raisins (after the US and Turkey). We look to the Iranian diaspora and winemakers in the US and around the world to remember and honor the culture of hospitality of the past in their winemaking … and for the taste of hope it offers us for the future.
Arak/Araq/Arrack
We finish the season with a chaser, if you will: Arak. This anise-flavored spirit is a significant part of the culture in these countries (OK, Poland is proudly in the vodka camp) By exploring the history and traditions of Arak we find ourselves down the rabbit hole of the origins of the alembic or pot still, and the distillation of spirits for the whole reason my business and this podcast exists: enjoying the societal and cultural aspects of the fermented and distilled beverage.
It’s ironic that we look to the Arabs for the invention of the still itself and the distillation practices that emerged, as Arak is synonymous with distillation. Fine, I used the word “sweat” in the episode. Come at me. However, it all comes together as distillation spread throughout the Persian empire and Mediterranean to and through Europe.
Many spirits we enjoy today share their origins in the spirit (ha ha) of Arak as it became the anise-flavored tradition of countries in Levant, Middle East, and Mediterranean. Looking at you Ouzo, Sambuca, Raki, Pastis, and Absinthe.
Reaching Back for Perspective
At the end of this season (and another bout of COVID, in my case) I certainly raise a glass to all we can learn by exploring wine and spirits that are off the beaten path and may be a bit more of a hand sell in the retail space. The technical stuff aside, I find that reaching back across centuries, maps, and cultures to swirl up some historical context is what takes the study of wine and spirits to a different place.
I thank you for joining me on this delicious, insightful, winding, and sometimes whacky journey.
