OINOSby EIDOS
Editorial

The Reading Room

Essays and shorter notes on wine, art and the ground beneath both.

Latest essay
Who Made the First Wine?Essay · No. 02Who Made the First Wine?On accidents, evidence, and the human decision to try againSomeone left grapes in a vessel. Perhaps they had been crushed; perhaps they split under their own weight. Yeasts found the sugar. Days later, the fruit was something else.Read the essay →
All essays
01The OINOS LexiconThe OINOS LexiconWine, seen through art.→
Shorter notes@oinosbyeidos
Chardonnay has a reputation for being buttery.22 OctChardonnay has a reputation for being buttery.For 8,000 years, humanity made wine without quite knowing why it worked.21 OctFor 8,000 years, humanity made wine without quite knowing why it worked.Harvest has excellent PR. Golden light, beautiful vineyards, people carrying baskets of grapes as though they’ve just stepped out of a Renaissance painting.19 OctHarvest has excellent PR. Golden light, beautiful vineyards, people carrying baskets of grapes as though they’ve just stepped out of a Renaissance painting.It took a little longer than opening a bottle.17 OctIt took a little longer than opening a bottle.Imagine a dinner where the host has one rule: every bottle goes into a carafe before the guests arrive.16 OctImagine a dinner where the host has one rule: every bottle goes into a carafe before the guests arrive.There are few words in wine more reassuring than Reserva. It suggests patience, good judgement and somebody resisting the temptation to sell the wine immediately.14 OctThere are few words in wine more reassuring than Reserva. It suggests patience, good judgement and somebody resisting the temptation to sell the wine immediately.A wine label is a remarkably small document for the amount of responsibility it carries. It must identify the wine, communicate its origin and satisfy various legal requirements, while somehow persuading you to choose it over the forty-seven bottles standing beside it.12 OctA wine label is a remarkably small document for the amount of responsibility it carries. It must identify the wine, communicate its origin and satisfy various legal requirements, while somehow persuading you to choose it over the forty-seven bottles standing beside it.Revising for WSET has a particular look.11 OctRevising for WSET has a particular look.