The consolations of wine
Monday 30 April 2018
People have long turned to myriad sources as consolation for the thorny task of being human. From poetry and painting to music and sculpture, the arts are filled with expressions of humanity to soften misfortune and comfort the suffering. Literature is similarly sympathetic; what is the western canon but a catalogue of accounts of what it means to be human? And in philosophy, a field practically invented to help make sense of the human condition, consolations have been a popular genre. Perhaps the most famous was Boethius’s The Consolations of Philosophy , in which he reconciled his time in prison...
Become a member to continue reading
This February, share what you love.
February is the month of love and wine. From Valentine’s Day (14th) to Global Drink Wine Day (21st), it’s the perfect time to gift wine knowledge to the people who matter most.
Gift an annual membership and save 25%. Offer ends 21 February.
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 289,619 wine reviews & 15,914 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 289,619 wine reviews & 15,914 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 289,619 wine reviews & 15,914 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 289,619 wine reviews & 15,914 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Andrea's salon
Andrea's salon
A continuation of Andrea's search for the perfect wine dinner for her friends. See part 1. The origins of the...
Andrea's salon
The first of a two-part muse on a topic that may well be of particular interest to visitors to JancisRobinson.com...
Andrea's salon
Our most philosophically thoughtful columnist considers the polis of wine. Of all the paradoxes that exist in wine, one in...
Andrea's salon
What to take from home when embarking on a long journey abroad? There are the practical effects one needs for...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Mission Blind Tasting
Just looking closely can help you figure out what wine is in your glass. Welcome back to Mission Blind Tasting...
Inside information
An ancient variety high in acidity and low in alcohol might help Franciacorta weather the effects of climate change. Last...
Tasting articles
An extreme vintage rarefied by eye-watering selection. Above, co-directors Betrand de Villaine and Perrine Fenal with Corney & Barrow’s managing...
Free for all
17 February 2026 Older readers will know the name Joseph Berkmann well. As outlined in the profile below, republished today...
Tasting articles
Chinese wines to ring in the New Year – or anytime, really, now that this portfolio is available in the...
Nick on restaurants
Two great restaurants selected by our Spanish specialist Ferran Centelles for Jancis and Nick during Barcelona’s wine trade fair. There...
Free for all
A final report on this year’s Southwold-on-Thames tasting of about 200 wines from the unusually hot, dry 2022 vintage. A...
Wine news in 5
Plus, a trade deal for China and South Africa, falling French wine and spirits exports, a legal case in Australia...