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   Share this article     Summary of Editorial column Wine Tasting 
  Editorial Issue 86, June 2010   
Internet and Wine: Bacchus Likes the NetInternet and Wine: Bacchus Likes the Net  Contents 
Issue 85, May 2010 Follow DiWineTaste on Follow DiWineTaste on TwitterIssue 87, Summer 2010

Internet and Wine: Bacchus Likes the Net


 The communication of wine inexorably follows fashion and trends of time. Once, just like any other type of information, the most common media was the so called press, then it came the radio, therefore the television and now Internet. Despite still today press and television are considered as the most reliable and “authoritative” media, many professionals into information are realizing it is Internet the media to take giant steps. Wine is no exception in this, despite there are still many producers and professionals who consider it as a secondary media, a sort of “son of a lesser god”. Of course they are people who live in an antiquate world and who like to keep their eyes well closed, reluctant to progress and to the evidence of facts. Indeed, the information on Internet is also victim of other prejudices: for many it is the media of “false” information and “scarcely reliable” - an untrustworthy tool where only frivolous information can be spread - while recognizing to the press and television the highest level of authority.

 Internet is frequently accused of “hosting” everyone, in this sense it is the most impeccable expression of democracy: everyone has the right of citizenship and freedom to express his or her opinion, from consumers to experts. For the sake of truth - it should be said - this can be done provided there are proper technological conditions, a possibility which is still denied to many countries of the world. Maybe the annoying fact about Internet is it cannot be controlled (and miserable is the one who tries to control the expression of others with abuse and injustice) and therefore everyone can freely express his or her point of view. This “freedom” is frequently considered as determinant in order to tell who is a professional of information - and therefore reliable - and who is not. This would prove the fact that writing for the press or appearing in television is a guarantee of reliability and of authoritativeness. Facts obviously deny this sort of privilege: who has never read or listened to false news - or even idiot, with no real or logic sense - in the press or in television?

 It is the fact Internet is less controllable - and whoever can let others knows his or her opinion in few seconds - makes it a more reliable and credible media to the eyes of “consumers” and “common people”. Of course, in Internet can be read so many idiot and non sense things. And the same can be read in newspapers or can be heard on television or radio. This proves, as a simple matter of fact, all communication media - despite the way of spreading - are all the same, each having advantages and disadvantages. It is however undeniable Internet has evident advantages over traditional communication media. Its efficiency in spreading a news or an opinion in few seconds all over the world has no rivals. There are so many cases in which news - even important ones - have been quickly spread on the Internet, therefore contributing to promptly adopt proper measures. We should think, for example, to the many natural catastrophes: the world knew about it in advance before the same news was spread by newspapers or television.

 The advantages of Internet are not only expressed by its timeliness in communication. In the net are also created communities of people - who frequently become real by breaking the hypocrite virtual barrier - exchanging opinions, organizing meetings, trying to know more. There are many wine producers who understood the importance of Internet in communicating to their clients: they use it to promote their wines, to communicate their productive and promotional activity, to know what consumers think about their products. For the sake of truth, there also are many producers who are very contrary to this new media, considered as scarcely reliable and not serious. These producers, who think it is more credible and serious to see something written in a piece of paper instead in a screen, probably avoid Internet for the fact they cannot control the information the way they like. The problem is that the ones really interested in knowing something, as soon as they hear about something, they verify it with the tools they have at hand and Internet certainly is among the most effective ones.

 In this regard, Internet looks like the main square of a town of some tens of years ago, where all the people gathered and exchanged opinions, while socializing and debating at the same time. Of course, the difference was that in a square relationships were real and honest: in Internet they are not the same, everyone is strong of a certain form of anonymity which can also be guaranteed, as long as the members voluntarily decide to remain isolated. Contrary to others phenomena created on the Internet, in the world of wine this behavior tends to happen less frequently, as virtual communities of the net sometimes organize events where they meet up for real in front of a glass of wine. This probably is a need caused by the fact wine - just like food - does not belong to the virtual world, it is real. Wine, in order to be really understood, must not be read or confined to thoughts and words: it must be tasted. On this principle and spirit are also based the events organized by our magazine - exclusively published on the Internet since 2002, the year of its founding - a way to let our readers know what has been reviewed in our magazine and in our Guide.


 

 The possibility of interacting and answering to everyone spreading a news or communicating an opinion, requires a higher sense of responsibility about what has been written and on its truthfulness: whoever writes false news or non reliable things, is promptly denied and accused of lying by others. And this is the expression of the reliability of Internet, despite the ones who believe the net is not reliable or credible. Detractors of the net fear the limited possibility they have in controlling Internet, therefore it is not a good media for the smart ones who like spreading false and misleading news, even worse, for their own ignoble interest. Internet certainly is the future of information: this has been understood by many important and historical newspapers of the world which are moving towards the net. And there are also many who believe they will exclusively publish on the Internet in the near future, while abandoning the press, therefore safeguarding trees and woods from which come the cellulose used for the production of paper. Internet is more and more a place of exchange and communication, and wine is no exception. Let's hope this will be understood also by those skeptical and conservative producers, for their own good and of their consumers. By the way, DiWineTaste is also on Twitter at the address http://www.twitter.com/diwinetaste. A new way for keeping in touch with our readers and to exchange opinions.

 







   Share this article     Summary of Editorial column Wine Tasting 
  Editorial Issue 86, June 2010   
Internet and Wine: Bacchus Likes the NetInternet and Wine: Bacchus Likes the Net  Contents 
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