(Photo by Alisha Sommer)

I recently returned from the 2026 Wine Writer’s Symposium in Napa Valley, sponsored by the Napa Vintners, Meadowood Napa Valley and the Natural Cork Commission. As part of the application process to be selected as a fellow, we we were prompted to write a 500-word essay on what would be lost if wine was only art or only science. With some minor copy edits, I’m sharing my submission below. At the time I was just hoping to make the deadline, but after re-reading now that I’m home, I realized it really does sum up what I love about wine and why I continue to pursue it as… spoiler alert … art.

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If wine were only science, the magic would be lost. We wouldn’t have an industry filled with writers, thinkers, creators, and enthusiasts — or one that creates a world far bigger than the product itself. Don’t believe me? Where are the orange juice writers? But seriously…

Wine’s artistry shows up in two places: in the winemaking process and once wine is bottled. There’s plenty of art in every decision that shapes how the grapes are grown, harvested, fermented and aged. But for me, it’s about the art wine brings once a bottle lands on a table or poured into a glass. It’s wine’s mystique, its rich ability to tell a story of time and place, its ability to send people down intellectual rabbit holes, spark unexpected conversations and even create intimacy, that proves wine is more art than science.

If wine were only a science, we’d gain precision and consistency, but lose its wonder. The thrill of searching for the vintage variations, the different aromas and flavors, or racing acidity and bite from tannins that spark our curiosity would no longer be part of the experience. The energy that surrounds a bottle of wine, the way it inspires people to create, argue, fall in love or toast to something bigger than themselves would all vanish in a purely technical world.

Thinking about wine as art reminds me of a conversation I had nearly a decade ago while sitting at a picnic table with a winemaker in one of the far Sonoma Coast’s heralded vineyards. We were discussing wine pairings and her take was simple: Pairings should be about the occasion – sipping a bottle at the beach with your soulmate? Grab a rosé. Celebrating? Make sure to have lots of sparklers. Dinner with friends on a cold winter night? A deep sumptuous red will bring warmth to the evening. Her philosophy wasn’t about the wine’s chemistry, it was about moments – reminding me that wine wasn’t something to scientifically analyze, it was something to experience.

Science gives us the tools to make the wine, but art gives wine its soul. It’s what drives a winemaker to chase perfection, knowing they’ll never quite reach it, and what drives enthusiasts to keep exploring new bottles, new regions and seeking out new stories.

Ultimately, if wine were only a science, we’d lose the passion it brings – the joy, the poetry, the endless search for answers from a glass that’s never exactly the same twice. The art of wine isn’t just about how it’s made, but in how it makes us feel.