Where language has its limitations

Pictured here are a few bottles from my recent Zagat wine club shipment, compliments of Tai, my very generous son. From left to right, a 2011 Le Prince de Courthézon from France, a 2011 Castillo de Aguaron Cabernet from Spain, and a 2009 Buena Vista 'The Count' from Sonoma County, California. Each bottle comes with a fairly detailed write-up explaining its origins, a brief background about the vintner, details about the region where the grapes came from, storage instructions, and more, making it a perfect learning tool for a wine novice like myself.

It occurred to me today that writing about wine is much like writing about music. If words could adequately convey the experience of sipping a Bordeaux, or enjoying an Eccles sonata, then there would be no need to pour yourself a glass and cozy up to your favorite cellist. But here is where language has its limitations. A great piece of music, and a great wine offer much more than we can express in words. This need to embrace the nonverbal is perhaps what binds music and wine together, and why the two go hand in hand so well.