Is Perfect Desirable?

We've all heard the stories, whipped up by anti-European media, about imminent legislation to ensure that fruit and veg is perfect in size, shape and colour. We've also heard, and experienced, lack of flavour, homogeneity of size and shape and most probably asked ourselves is this what we really want...

Paul Henry, in his excellent blog, Wine Hero, recommended a couple of wines yesterday specifically because they were a little flawed. One of the wines recommended, Domaine A Cabernet, is a wine with which I am very familiar, and it is a wine that tells a story of a battle against climate, established wine trade wisdom and consumer perception. It is the story of the ambition, passion and dedication of one man, Peter Althaus and the fact that it is exceptional but not perfect, makes it all the more intriguing.

Given that we are now in an age of apparent austerity, it is fitting that on those occasions when we want to spend a little more, we should be looking for wines that really deliver - and by deliver I don't mean deliver plush fruit, seemless tannins, 100 points from someone we do not know and an "international" appeal that is a euphemism for uniform, soul-less and uninspiring. What I mean is wines that are undoubtedly excellent, wines that speak of where they came from, who made them and what inspired them. They may well be wines that are not perfect, but it is those flaws of character and minor imperfections that turn the beautiful into the captivating.