But for some regions in Europe it means traditions older than the Roman empire, related to wine growing, can disappear. On steep sunny rocky slopes where little else will grow well, and it’s often really deeply embedded in almost everything in such a region: restaurants, tourism, landscape… 80% inhabitants are somehow linked to the winery. Then it’s not anonymous capitalist sounding “industry” but just some guy in a small village whose father’s father’s father … once started an Inn with winegrowing on the side and when all 4 of such businesses in a village go bankrupt the entire village can become an abandoned wasteland in just a few years.
Modern wine-farming isn’t all romantic traditions either though. It has been mechanized and intensified over the last few decades as well, with some notable disadvantages to the landscapes that have been formed by vineyards over centuries.
I understand the existential threat, that a shrinking market poses to some wine-farmers. But I don’t think wine is going to disappear completely. And maybe there’s also a chance for a healthy transformation.
The problem is, that we’re gonna let merciless market dynamics decide, who can stay and who cannot, and usually that doesn’t go in favour of the small players.
I agree there are few advantages to alcohol.
But for some regions in Europe it means traditions older than the Roman empire, related to wine growing, can disappear. On steep sunny rocky slopes where little else will grow well, and it’s often really deeply embedded in almost everything in such a region: restaurants, tourism, landscape… 80% inhabitants are somehow linked to the winery. Then it’s not anonymous capitalist sounding “industry” but just some guy in a small village whose father’s father’s father … once started an Inn with winegrowing on the side and when all 4 of such businesses in a village go bankrupt the entire village can become an abandoned wasteland in just a few years.
Modern wine-farming isn’t all romantic traditions either though. It has been mechanized and intensified over the last few decades as well, with some notable disadvantages to the landscapes that have been formed by vineyards over centuries.
I understand the existential threat, that a shrinking market poses to some wine-farmers. But I don’t think wine is going to disappear completely. And maybe there’s also a chance for a healthy transformation.
The problem is, that we’re gonna let merciless market dynamics decide, who can stay and who cannot, and usually that doesn’t go in favour of the small players.