Interrogating the Aesthetics of Less
Writing humanism into wine’s newest narrative
The recent death of Michel Rolland brought back into the spotlight the role of the auteur winemaker. Before the mid-twentieth century, winemaking was largely traditionalist. Wines were praised for regional typicity and adherence to style, so-called correctness. Winemaking relied more on historical techniques than personal vision.
The post-war economy and industrialization brought innovations. Winemakers began tinkering in the field and cellar, applying new techniques to create wines of ripeness, extraction, and polish. Producers like Rolland were no longer protectors of tradition, they were makers of taste.1
