The idea of authenticity came up many times throughout the quarter, and it is a topic that I hear discussed more and more in both food and wine. Is fusion food authentic? If a Japanese chef is making Italian food in Tokyo, is that authentic? Is wine authentic if someone buys the grapes on the spot market and creates a brand to try and sell it?
These questions are often the first ones that people want to discuss; however, I feel like people are asking the wrong questions. What happened to- was the fusion food delicious? Did you enjoy yourself at the Italian restaurant? Did your friends like the wine you gave them?
As some visiting speakers mentioned this quarter, wine is just grape juice that we can drink and food is just a necessary part of life. Discussing topics like authenticity is great, but we should not lose sight of the forest for the trees. It is difficult to truly define "authentic" when it comes to food and wine, so it is even more difficult to find something "authentic" in today's world. Everyone comes to an experience with their own views, so authenticity seems like it will be different to each individual. Grandma may have made you pasta one way, but that doesn't mean it's truly authentic.
I liked this idea of authenticity because it transcends the food and beverage industries and permeates our everyday interactions with people to the point that we question the authenticity of people.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Fast Company, the measure of a successful brand depends on whether it has achieved authenticity in the eyes of its consumers. In discussion of what makes a brand authentic their purview is that here’s not just one recipe for originality. Some brands tend to come across as authentic naturally without much fan fare while others create an experience that in structurally authentic.
When I think of authenticity and the wine industry I think I generally assert small multi-generational family wineries to be most authentic and large wine conglomerates to be least authentic. I agree though that this might not be the right way to view authenticity. Perhaps a better way to consider authenticity is by the quality of the wine and winemaker. But then that is subjective too so measures of authenticity remain very personal.