15.03.18

Does music really improve wine? Since the dawn of time, the cellars where the winemaking ritual takes place have a magical halo with a dark, almost esoteric charm. So, thinking that music has the power to intervene during this process does not seem that strange. Thomas Koeberl and Markus Bachmann, Austrian wine enthusiasts, are sure: making Mozart's symphony no. 41 resonate in the cellar during fermentation improves the quality of the wine. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, an English encyclopaedic dictionary with the reputation of being the reference text for music fans all over the world, defines Mozart "the most universal composer in the history of Western music". So universal that he managed to find his way into the heart of wine? Yet, there could be a physical explanation to justify what the Austrian food and wine experts say: the sound waves propagated from the speakers inside the cellar could interact with the action of the yeasts, improving the fermentation process. The conditional is a must, because there is still no scientific evidence that this actually happens. Surely, it is still too early to declare a miracle or to imagine musical rows along the Italian hills, but one thing is certain: for us Wine and Music are works of art, a combination that has inspired pages and pages of novels, operas and melodic suggestions, life stories encompassing desperation, exaltation, enthusiasm and melancholy. The passion for wine has in fact marked the entire history of music, from the ancient rural melodies to the Bacchic songs of the Renaissance, to the great compositions of Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Beethoven, Schuman, Brahms, Verdi and Rossini, all passionate about good food and Bordeaux Reds. History therefore celebrates and consecrates the beauty and pleasure of wine through famous pieces that echo through the ages. Just think of “Libiam ne’ lieti calici” of La Traviata by Verdi of “Viva il vino spumeggiante” of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, or to “Eldberry wine” by Elton John, “Blood Red Wine” by the Rolling Stones, “Barbera and Champagne” by Giorgio Gaber, “Champagne” by Peppino Gagliardi and the myriad of compositions that involve people and make them dream, giving a different flavour to meetings and a touch of charm to life.