Partially, I was overwhelmed with annoyance for how packaging impacts perceptions of authenticity and prestige. For example, although, as Professor Rapp pointed out, boxed wine has seen significant growth, I know many people who turn up their noses at the idea of boxed wine. I understand the market dynamics (technology that wasn't ready, you can't age boxed wine, etc.) that led to this, but that many still see boxed wine as somehow less "authentic" bugs me.
However, I can now say that I "get" it.
Incredibly bored in SFO earlier this week, I picked up a remarkably expensive copy of National Geographic. The front page article was titled, "The Birth of Booze: Our 9,000-Year Love Affair With Alcohol."
Flipping through the pages, I ran across the following caption to a picture of two men carrying a half wooden barrel on their shoulders:
The oldest firm evidence of an alcoholic beverage comes from Jiahu, China [...] It's still a popular drink in China. At the Zhejiang Pagoda Brand Shaoxing Winery, workers steam and ferment freshly harvested rice in the winter, when water from the nearby river is at its purest.
My first reaction was, "that sounds amazing." I wanted to visit. The product felt authentic - ancient even - and incredibly pure. I wanted to try it immediately.
A couple pages later, I ran across the following caption to a picture of two children in white canvas shifts reaching up to pick grapes off of a vine:
Wine was the beverage of choice in ancient Rome, a from there it spread throughout the empire, including France. At Mas des Tourelles, an estate near the southern French town of Arles, vintner Herve Durand worked with archaeologists to re-create Roman wines from first-century A.D. recipes - and to reenact the ancient process of winemaking. Grapes are picked by locals dressed as Roman slaves, snacked on by a Roman soldier, and pressed with a massive oak-tree trunk.
I was appalled. To re-enact an ancient custom right down to the costumes seemed absurd. My immediate conclusion was, "that wine must not be very good. This is basically a really insensitive disney-like product. I mean, is it even wine?"
But then I had to stop myself - other than the costumes, what really was the difference? Does the fact that the winemakers have their grapes picked by children dressed up as ancient slaves really impact the wine itself - of course it doesn't. Does the fact that this is a recreated recipe make it any less authentic? Possibly (one could argue that fruits, etc. have evolved enough that the wine could never be recreated or that it is a replica, not an authentic product in and of itself), but the same arguments can be made about the Chinese wine. Is the intention or manner in which the wine is produced directly impact its authenticity (I know some familiar Northern Italians who would argue yes)?
Indeed, when it comes right down to it, both products are based on ancient recipes and both products are created in the same place as their ancient forbearers. Aren't both simultaneously authentic and homages to the original?
I would argue "yes" to the above, which leaves me with the unsettling feeling that anything can be considered "authentic" if you look at it long enough. No matter how "disney" it feels.
(1) https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/the-benefits-of-boxed-wine
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