Wine Country in Shorts Blog
Dr. Ralph DeAmicis MH, ND
707-235-2364, ralphdeamicis@gmail.comwww.WineCountryinShorts.com
As we started seriously assembling the stories that I had heard over the past eighteen years of wine touring, I realized that there were many topics related to wine and the human experience that I had developed strong ideas and insights about. As a wine tour guide, who is also a travel writer, a master herbalist, Naturopathic Physician, astrologer and geomantic practitioner, I think my perspective is a bit unique. That is what this Blog is about. I hope you find it illuminating.
Ralph DeAmicis
Chapter One from Wine tasting with the Stars: The Astrology of Fine Wine
Chapter One: The Astrology of Fine Wine
“Wine is sunlight held together by water” - Galileo Galilei
In 1811 the “Great Comet” was visible for over eight months, and the year’s wine was called a “Comet Vintage”. That year’s flawless Château d’Yquem enjoyed exceptional longevity, the Veuve Clicquot was heralded as the first ‘modern’ Champagne and while 1811 stands out, many of the ‘comet vintages’ are believed to be exceptional.
Our consulting spans both Astrology and wine tourism, places where the history of natural cycles rule, so we divide our time talking with clients about their Planets and the vineyards that produce the wines they like. A person’s wine preferences are often expressions of their Charts, accounting for differences in age, economic status, education, gender and physiology. Personal transits affect what appeals to their palates and the travel experiences people seek. Saturn Transits often inspire wine trips to Bordeaux, with all their formality and tradition. Jupiter Transits more often lead to bouncing among the California vineyards, with their hospitable, over-blown and entrepreneurial style.
Three factors shape wine preferences: personality, physiology and age. Astrologically, Personality is the Sun and Moon, Physiology is the Ascendant and Age is seen in the transits. Older men and Saturnian personalities like big, structured, aged Reds. Youngsters, before their Saturn Return at the age of twenty-eight, often like lighter, even sweeter wines that delight and excite the front of the palette. As people age the flavors that appeal to them are sensed farther back on the palate. After the Saturn Return, the savory flavors that are tasted on the mid-palette, that are rich in calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium become more appealing. At that critical juncture the body’s ability to assimilate these nutrients is reduced, so it becomes increasingly important that the body seek them out.
Herbalists have traditionally made correlations between plants and Planets. With grapes that’s easy, because they look like Celestial Bodies, round, colorful with distinctive personalities. Having our unique perspective, we looked for correlations between the major Planets and the grapes that dominate the ‘fine wine’ world.
Here is a helpful hint for wine lovers from Biodynamics, the oldest, ‘modern’ system of organic farming, that includes an Astrological system. Wine is more fragrant and the wine opens up faster during Fire and Air Moons, compared to Water and Earth Moons. That’s because the flavors volatize more easily under those Moons.
A major part of the sensory enjoyment of wine is through the nose, which can detect almost a billion scent notes, while the palate only gets five major flavors. We have noticed this ourselves and the Moon Sign is an important factor for when the great Biodynamic French wine houses schedule their industry tasting events.
The Celestial Bodies and Their Grapes
The Sun – Chardonnay. When that golden glass of Chardonnay is glowing in the café light you are seeing the embodiment of the Sun. The name in Persian means ‘The Gates of Heaven’, and as befits the Sun, Chard is America’s biggest selling premium white wine; climate tolerant, insect resistant, prolific and able to be made in many styles. Like all grapes, they start off green but as they attain ripeness, they become a translucent gold, with subtle sunspots floating beneath the surface. That vitality and adaptability is clearly Solar.
(C) 2022 R&L DeAmicis WineTastingWithTheStars.com - 707-235-2648 - AmicisWineryTours@gmail.com
“Wine is sunlight held together by water” - Galileo Galilei
In 1811 the “Great Comet” was visible for over eight months, and the year’s wine was called a “Comet Vintage”. That year’s flawless Château d’Yquem enjoyed exceptional longevity, the Veuve Clicquot was heralded as the first ‘modern’ Champagne and while 1811 stands out, many of the ‘comet vintages’ are believed to be exceptional.
Our consulting spans both Astrology and wine tourism, places where the history of natural cycles rule, so we divide our time talking with clients about their Planets and the vineyards that produce the wines they like. A person’s wine preferences are often expressions of their Charts, accounting for differences in age, economic status, education, gender and physiology. Personal transits affect what appeals to their palates and the travel experiences people seek. Saturn Transits often inspire wine trips to Bordeaux, with all their formality and tradition. Jupiter Transits more often lead to bouncing among the California vineyards, with their hospitable, over-blown and entrepreneurial style.
Three factors shape wine preferences: personality, physiology and age. Astrologically, Personality is the Sun and Moon, Physiology is the Ascendant and Age is seen in the transits. Older men and Saturnian personalities like big, structured, aged Reds. Youngsters, before their Saturn Return at the age of twenty-eight, often like lighter, even sweeter wines that delight and excite the front of the palette. As people age the flavors that appeal to them are sensed farther back on the palate. After the Saturn Return, the savory flavors that are tasted on the mid-palette, that are rich in calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium become more appealing. At that critical juncture the body’s ability to assimilate these nutrients is reduced, so it becomes increasingly important that the body seek them out.
Herbalists have traditionally made correlations between plants and Planets. With grapes that’s easy, because they look like Celestial Bodies, round, colorful with distinctive personalities. Having our unique perspective, we looked for correlations between the major Planets and the grapes that dominate the ‘fine wine’ world.
Here is a helpful hint for wine lovers from Biodynamics, the oldest, ‘modern’ system of organic farming, that includes an Astrological system. Wine is more fragrant and the wine opens up faster during Fire and Air Moons, compared to Water and Earth Moons. That’s because the flavors volatize more easily under those Moons.
A major part of the sensory enjoyment of wine is through the nose, which can detect almost a billion scent notes, while the palate only gets five major flavors. We have noticed this ourselves and the Moon Sign is an important factor for when the great Biodynamic French wine houses schedule their industry tasting events.
The Celestial Bodies and Their Grapes
The Sun – Chardonnay. When that golden glass of Chardonnay is glowing in the café light you are seeing the embodiment of the Sun. The name in Persian means ‘The Gates of Heaven’, and as befits the Sun, Chard is America’s biggest selling premium white wine; climate tolerant, insect resistant, prolific and able to be made in many styles. Like all grapes, they start off green but as they attain ripeness, they become a translucent gold, with subtle sunspots floating beneath the surface. That vitality and adaptability is clearly Solar.
(C) 2022 R&L DeAmicis WineTastingWithTheStars.com - 707-235-2648 - AmicisWineryTours@gmail.com