As many an oenophile knows, drinking wine is about more than simply imbibing another flavorful liquid; it is a whole experience, with a certain context, such as a meal, a get-to-know-you, or as a break from the everyday (even, for oenophiles, an eagerly anticipated part of the everyday!)…in short, wine is not merely drunk, and not even simply enjoyed: wine is a world unto itself.

Wine racks form a part of this context, this experience, this world. They actually add to the pleasure of drinking due to the aesthetic qualities of many a fine rack. Remember, it isn’t just the act of taking something in, and it isn’t even simply the mesmerizing sensations that are produced in oneself – it’s everything, from the very look of a bottle by itself to how it appears alongside other bottles, similar and not; from the very light on the bottle or bottles to the light through the glass and the liquid. It’s the fragrance, the taste, and the very texture of the liquid on the tongue, the palate, and even the throat.

It’s the food that’s taken with it – and it’s the food that isn’t taken with it. It’s the people one takes it with – and it’s also the solitude one in which one takes it. Everything adds to the experience, from the wine racks made of wood, metal, or any other material to the time of day or night in which the wine is sampled.

Now it isn’t some form of wine snobbery to point all this out. Putting on airs is not what being an oenophile is all about. To be sure, it can often seem a very thin line indeed between being a connoisseur and being overwrought. But whether wine racks are used or the bottles are stored in the kitchen cabinet – whether the wine is slowly savored for its color, fragrance, and taste or it’s taken in quick casual swills – there is a whole overarching, encompassing context, if one thinks about it carefully, and this goes a long way towards informing our pleasure, however we enjoy our wines.