subject: Wine Clubs: From Debauchery To California Charity [print this page] Wine clubs have existed since ancient Grecian times. Although the cult of Dionysus still has some Bacchanalian followers, most modern wine clubs have taken more every-day forms. They range from membership with California charity wine sellers for discounts to groups of friends that meet to drink and enjoy each other's company every week to mail order clubs that send you a new bottle each week. Some of them go to the effort to become a non profit so they can do their own charitable work, and many of them grow more involved as members become obsessed with wine, but in the end, pure hedonism is no longer the currency of these groups.
The history of the wine club is interesting. People have worshipped the Greek god of winemaking for a long time. Followers of the cult of Dionysus paid homage to this god for more than just wine making, however. He was also the god of libation and fertility, and so the celebrations had a decidedly wanton tone that produced legendary festivals as early as the 1400s. Religious and government conservatives attempted to break the group apart many times throughout this period, believing it a threat to stability and moral integrity. Sects attempted to go underground and maintain their celebrations, but they were basically wiped out only to be revived in more tame forms in the modern era.
One thing that does remain true for those who love wine, whether they worship Dionysus, also known by the Roman name Bacchus, or not, is the belief that drinking wine is both pleasurable and healthy. Arguments for the benefits of wine include a range of beliefs. Some point to the emotional release that it promotes by allowing people to become less inhibited and let go, because this helps them to distress, which has clear health benefits. Others care about the social aspect, and how sharing wine helps people bond, which has a decidedly positive effect on their mood and health. There is also a scientific argument that speaks to the various physiological advantages that moderate alcohol consumption has in battling heart disease and a few other ailments that increase in likelihood with age. Although the arguments may be different than they were centuries ago, the adherence to the belief that drinking a little wine is good for you remains.
Perhaps this is why wine clubs have taken on so many forms. Whether your wine club buys from a cause-based wine retailer to support a California charity, does its own charitable work in the community, or just focuses on having a good time, you'll be doing something more than just drinking wine; your group is creating experiences and contributions that feel good and right on many levels. And as it's the wine that plays a central role in bringing everyone together, it only makes sense that people would pay some respect to that.
The more people have come to love wine and care about it as an academic issue, the more they have been drawn to the good that people can do with wine, whether for their own health, the benefit of their friends, or their needy California charity of choice. From a cult of debauchery, libation, and hedonism to a motivation for charitable acts good deeds - clearly, the cult of the wine lover has come a long way.
