Language of the Senses — Terroir Talking | Nature, Spirit, Wine | Stories about nature and the life within wine | Interviews with winemakers and growers about their relationship with nature.

Reflection No. 40

“The language of the senses” is something of a mantra for me. I need to listen to the unspoken and recognize the difference between what I want to believe and what is real. Sometimes I have to wait, listening carefully to life’s messages, which are often spoken in symbols as if testing my awareness. But in moments of stillness, without ego or external chatter, the truth reveals itself and we can hear the stories wine has to tell.

We often accept that what we read or are told by others is the truth. Particularly with matters of wine. Maybe we lack confidence and think that others know more than we do. We listen to their words and apply them to our experiences so we can respond in a way that an “expert” has told us is correct. But when it comes to sensory awareness, there is no one truth. Our responses are subjective and the pleasure we derive from what we personally know is worth listening to.

Wine is so much more than a tasty drink. If you want a cocktail, have a deliciously mindless martini, because wine offers so much more. If wine is made with respect for the biodiversity of the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar, it can captivate you with images that your own responses have inspired. I call it giving form to the formless. Once we are open to the language of the senses, embarking on journeys into the unknown will not seem so strange.

All images were taken at Meow Wolf, an arts and entertainment center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.