The famous French chemist Martin Chastran Guduohua (1772 1838) once said: "Wine reflects many things in the history of human civilization, which shows us religion, universe, nature, body and life. It is an encyclopedia involving life and death, sex, aesthetics, society and politics. "
The symbolism of grapes and wine can be seen everywhere in religion. The first miracle about wine created by Jesus was that he turned water into wine at Jana's wedding. Jesus said, "I am a real grape, and my father is a farmer who grows grapes." For the disciples of Jesus, wine is the blood of the Son of God. Grapes and wine are usually favored by priests in communion and other ceremonies. In medieval art painting, Jesus crucified was depicted as a bunch of grapes under pressure. Until the18th century, people thought that drinking wine would become blood in the body. During the epidemic, everyone will drink alcohol to avoid evil spirits.
Wine is intoxicating. For a long time, alcoholism was sacred among people. But Christianity opposes drunkenness, because "the wine from the source of joy will bite like a poisonous snake." In ancient Greece, no one except musicians and dancers was allowed to attend banquets and drink alcohol. Roman men smell their wives to find out if they are secretly drinking. If they smell alcohol, they will be executed. Atheism and humanism have changed the strict precepts of religion. Philosophers Plato and Montaigne advocated moderate drinking. During the Renaissance, poets praised the creativity brought by wine. In the literary works of this period, emperors and princes often appear as good drinkers.
Since ancient times, people have combined wine with art and goodness with beauty as brothers. In Greek mythology, Venus met Bacchus because of wine, which is considered to bring love and pleasure to human beings. Almost all arts praise the intoxication and inspiration brought by wine.
In the 6th century A.D./KLOC-0, the Italian painter Achinbotto painted the god of autumn as Dionysus. Their images not only show the tension of youth, but also show the spirit shining in fleeting harmony. Painters such as Francesco de Koya, Charles Fran? ois, Derbyshire, and Auguste Lei Nuowa all show the generosity and selflessness of nature by picking grapes in the harvest season. Francois Miller's paintings show the brawniness of Cooper barrels, while EngèneBoudin's paintings show the transportation scene of Bordeaux barrels.
In Voltaire's novels, we will read such a sentence: "Clarie Alex personally poured out Ayi wine with thick foam, and the cork that was forcibly ejected flashed to the roof like lightning, causing laughter all over the room. The clear foam is flashing, which is the beautiful image of France. "
1650, the earliest drinkable cafe appeared in Paris. There is usually a platform there. On sunny days, Parisians often gather there to drink, sing and taste delicious food. 1789, there were 102 such cafes in Xia Long province alone. All kinds of characters are gambling, whoring, quarreling or dancing there. It is a place where ordinary people look for joy and forget their troubles. Of course, in the novels from 18 to 19 century, it is also a place where criminals hide and prostitutes haunt. The name "Bistrot" pub can often arouse the infinite nostalgia of the French. At the same time, it was also left in impressionist paintings and black-and-white movies before and after the war. When Jean Bing sang the song "When We Walk by the River …", time seemed to return to those lost years. In fact, the warm scene of the pub has been deeply hidden in the memory of the French.
Even today, we can still see many small restaurants called "bistrot" or "tapas" in France. People can not only eat simple meals there, but also often find that the soft and cheerful atmosphere there is more suitable for friends to get together and chat. In fashionable hotels, guests can usually only see big-name Bordeaux wines. However, in pubs, bosses will teach guests wise wine selection methods to attract guests.
Choosing exquisite and scientific wine utensils and correct drinking methods is another detail that can not be ignored in wine culture. Moliere once compared a beautiful wine bottle to her lover: "beautiful wine bottle, you are so gentle;" /Beautiful Gollum, you are so touching. /But my fate is full of jealousy. /ah! Bottle, my love,/If you are always so happy,/Why do you want to empty yourself? "
In addition to wine bottles with different shapes and colors, the material and texture of wine glasses will also affect the taste of wine tasters. The ideal wine glass must be smooth and transparent so that people can appreciate the color of the wine. Smooth and delicate materials can give lips a comfortable touch.
"Full, plump, thick and fragrant", "exudes the fragrance of melted tannins and the delicate fragrance of cocoa trees", "as smooth as a jumping pine tree in the forest" and "as warm and transparent as a fisherman's tears". These emotional words express the feelings of wine lovers. In France, there are special schools and majors to learn the art of wine tasting. They think that if you drink before appreciating the color and fragrance of wine, you will give up the most basic enjoyment of drinking. In addition, drinking is also step by step: you must stop talking before picking up the glass. Before tasting wine, lift the glass upward, observe the full, clear and bright color of the wine with your eyes, and gently shake the glass to let the wine disperse; Smell it with your nose again, and then start tasting.
The collocation of food and wine is also a science. In this process, some people attach importance to harmony and unity, while others emphasize contrast. For those who lack the knowledge of food and wine collocation, it is generally not wrong to match wine in the same area with local food. Of course, personal hobbies are the key, and new attempts often make people enjoy the sense of accomplishment of innovation. Low-alcohol red wine is often used to accompany fish. Most cheese and wine should be balanced. Dessert (unless it is semi-dry) will be considered a fatal match with champagne, but Muscat in Alsace is considered a perfect match with asparagus!
When it comes to wine culture, we can't help but mention the culture of picking grapes. Harvesting grapes is one of the most important things in French agriculture. Picking grapes in the hot sun is hard, but full of happiness. Happy people can be seen everywhere, and happy songs can be heard everywhere. In the famous Bogart juicing song, you can hear the lyrics: "The wine is rolling, and the hip flask is almost full ..." Every year when new wine comes on the market, French restaurants are busy for a while. Restaurants all over the country began to sell various brands of new wine, and relatives, friends, colleagues and lovers would go to restaurants to get together and taste new wine. The air is filled with the festive atmosphere of harvest.
French wine culture grows and develops with the history and civilization of France. Wine culture has penetrated into all levels of French religion, politics, culture, art and life, and is closely related to people's lives. As a world political, economic and cultural power, French wine culture also affects people's lifestyles and cultural interests around the world. Understanding French wine culture will contribute to our overall understanding of French culture.