One of the most recurring subjects about the world of wine, and with that the
one of distillates and alcoholic beverages, is the relation young people have
with these kind of products. An extremely delicate subject, of course, one of
those which cannot be taken lightly and with superficiality. Young people are
the ones who indisputably represent in every epoch and in every place the
future of humanity: the development of customs and of society will inevitably
touch their lives. If it is true future is the consequence of present time, and
it is right in the future young people will be tomorrow's adults, the
responsibility of the ones who in this very moment, the present time, are
adults, is to prepare good premises to the ones that, tomorrow, will take their
place. Among these responsibilities we believe there is also the must of
keeping cultures, traditions, memories of the past and, above all, in the
respect of the ones of others. These are presuppositions which allow to
understand the present time and to shape the future, in the hope the experience
of the past will be useful for not making the same mistakes. Sad to admit,
history does not teach anything to men and the inexorable repetition of the
same tragedies sadly confirms that.
Young people are usually blamed for abusing alcoholic beverages, and this
corresponds, in general terms, to the truth. Indeed what preoccupies the most
is the abuse, something done by the ones who do not appreciate something or
were not educated to the right appreciation and respect of that thing. It
should be however noticed the general relationship young people have for wines
is, according to many aspects and in general terms, different from the other
alcoholic beverages and liquors. Young people seems to pay attention to the
quality of wine they drink - this is certainly an extremely positive factor -
and, in general terms, it seems they prefer to drink little wine provided it is
of good quality. Perhaps this is the consequence of the increasing interest for
wine, both from consumers and media, and, it seems, wine is treated with
importance and esteem for which, maybe, one is likely to consider it with
higher respect. Nevertheless wine contributes, uniquely by means of its
abuse, to the development of a preoccupying social plague: alcoholism. This is
something that, of course, does not play in favor of the beverage of Bacchus
and it is something to be not proud of: alcoholism is certainly something to be
prevented and contrasted.
Nevertheless the ones who can be defined as wine lovers are in no case
alcoholists. Whom truly appreciates wine knows very well how to relate to it:
whom truly knows and appreciates wine knows moderation is the best way, as well
as the most intelligent and wise, to get the maximum pleasure out from this
beverage. What is therefore the factor that makes the difference from the ones
who appreciate wine to the ones who abuse it? Culture and knowledge. If the
abuse of wine among young people is because of the lack of culture and
knowledge, therefore they have no faults, indeed the fault is of the society,
our society, which was not capable of giving a proper culture to young people,
which made them believe the consumption of alcohol, even worse the abuse of
alcohol, is something that characterizes great people to be taken as an
example. What can be done then? Repressing and forbidding the consumption of
alcoholic beverages? It would be, we think, even worse. Every adult knows very
well that when he or she was young experienced a sort of pleasure in
transgressing rules and prohibitions, in a sort of challenge. Moreover, it is
historically proven, prohibitionism gave the opposite results in the societies
where it was imposed.
If culture and education, in the sense of knowing something in the right
respect and appreciation, are the factors which allow a better relation to
wine, therefore it is right and desirable to work for this goal. There is lots
of talk about wine, let us say sometimes are also heard disputable words about
wine, and the number of sensorial tasting courses are continuously increasing.
This is certainly a positive factor which indicates the spreading of a certain
culture and of a conscious interest. An even more positive factor is that to
these courses take part lots of young people. A positive sign for which a merit
is to be recognized to the many professional and amatorial associations who
work since many years in this sense and for the spreading of the right wine
culture. Disinformation is always and however a damage for the ones who undergo
to it, even worse when it is arbitrarily organized in order to disinform and to
reach dishonest and disputable goals. We believe it is hypocritical, as well
as not correct and honest, to generalize about the negative effects of wine
without saying a single word about its positive effects. Medicine and science
continuously inform us about the effects of wine on our health, both positive
and negative ones: a good way to inform while simply telling the truth about
every single aspect without prejudices.
Wine can certainly have negative effects on health, but it is also true this
happens only when one abuses of it. Would not it be good, therefore, to rightly
educate and inform young people about every aspect, good and bad, about wine?
Behaving in a correct way towards someone also means to have his or her
respect, and young people must be respected, just like any other group of
individuals, without taking advantage from their inexperience and from their
desire of learning and growing up. This is also useful for the surviving of
wine itself: if young people are taught wine is a negative element, uniquely
showing its negative effects and without having it appreciated and known for
what it really is, the future of this millenary beverage will be sadly
compromised. In this regard we trust the intelligence of young people and their
desire of learning and growing up: we wish their intelligence will be useful to
them to go beyond the superficiality of things and the simple act of
drinking. Wine is a culture belonging to tens of people of the world, it is
a human heritage and the expression of the human genius which joins nature.
Let's try to respect this and respect, first of all, means not abusing of
something.
Respect is also made of correctness and with absolute correctness must be
taught the culture of wine. Anyone appreciating wine knows that what he or she
has in the glass is not something to be simply drunk: it is something that must
be understood, which can tell thousands things about it by means of senses,
with its color, its aromas and taste. It is not something to be drunk in an
uncaring and inattentive way. Wine is an extraordinary beverage which deserves
respect, and with respect it must be treated, which requires attention, which
can give pleasing moments and emotions to the one who has the will to
understand it, always remembering that all that is realized with moderation and
never with abuse. Well, this is what we should teach young people, to the ones
who in a distant future will have the responsibility of passing the culture of
wine to the ones who will inevitably be tomorrow's young people.
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