For some obscure reason, some authorities seem bent on making the drinking of wine a ritual more complicated than chess. They have succeeded in inhibiting a large section of the public and depriving them of one of the greatest pleasures known to man. – Craig Claiborne, New York Times Cookbook

The depth of experience fine wine can bring to a dinner, particularly [a bottle] that has been through the past 100 years, makes you take stock of your own life. – Neil deGrasse Tyson, quoted in The Wine Spectator, 2000 May 31st