Pavlovian

Jake Lorenzo is pretty sure that my ongoing love affair with wine is likely Pavlovian in nature. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist in the early 1900s who observed a type of learning where an animal (or human) learned to associate unrelated things to each other. Pavlov famously demonstrated that his dogs began to salivate at the sound of a bell linked to feeding time. Pavlov’s experiments with dogs led to a groundbreaking discovery in psychology known as classical conditioning. Classical conditioning explains how behaviors can be learned through association.

We don’t ring a bell at Jake Lorenzo’s house, nor do we own a dog, but the pop of a cork designates that work is over, a meal is on the way, and we are soon to be involved in some sort of pleasant social interaction. A bottle of wine on the table gives this detective confidence that the food will be delicious, the conversation entertaining, and that people are less likely to be checking their phones. Jake Lorenzo has this reaction to wine because I have been experiencing it for decades, without fail every time I hear that cork pop. Hell, I’m even picking it up when I hear someone twist a screw cap.

Not only that, but a wine bottle sitting on a table can make friends. Many years ago, this detective found himself in a dive Mexican restaurant that specialized in offal tacos. I sat down and gave my order to the waitress when I noticed the guy at the table next to me sipping from a bottle of Chalone Pinot Noir. “Good choice,” I said, “How’s it go with the tacos?”

“Grab a glass and I’ll let you find out,” the gentleman responded. That was my first meeting with Chuy Palacios. Over tacos de lengua, labios, and sesos, we shared a stunning bottle of wine and began a friendship that has lasted more than 50 years.

Classical conditioning is an automatic, learned response to something that normally wouldn’t trigger that response. You hear a notification sound on your phone and immediately feel a rush of anticipation, even before you see the message. That’s a Pavlovian response. The term has become shorthand for any situation where we’ve been trained, often without realizing it, to react a certain way.

Pavlov would be ringing bells in his grave to no avail if he knew what his discovery has been turned into. Most classical conditioning is now very sophisticated and focused on getting you to purchase things. Click on an advertisement for any item and you will be inundated with dozens of prompts from vendors selling related items. Shopping for a bottle of wine online is like unleashing a direct line for wine shops to bombard you with offers about anything in a bottle.

Rooted in the principle of classical conditioning, another kind of response is aversion conditioning, which has sprouted a whole technique known as aversion therapy. Instead of experiencing pleasure from an unrecognized action, the brain forms a negative association with a stimulus. A behavior that was previously rewarding turns negative and painful. That discomfort causes you to stop doing what used to give you pleasure and try something else.

As far as Jake Lorenzo is concerned, restaurant wine pricing has turned into aversion therapy. This detective used to love going to a restaurant, perusing the wine list, and finding some treasure that fit my budget, but restaurants have stolen that pleasure from me. Looking at wine list prices has become so painful that now I just bring a bottle of wine, pay the corkage, and don’t even glance at the list.

Back in the day when Jake Lorenzo got into the wine business, it was a joyful, passionate ride. Just a handful of wineries and a small cadre of cellar rats working our butts off making wine. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we learned. We saw our wines improve year after year, and that gave us confidence. We took pride in working hard to produce a product that people enjoyed and made part of their lives. It was classical conditioning reaffirming our life’s choices in the best of ways.

We didn’t just make wine; we made wine a major part of our lives. We discovered that sparkling wine poured for guests when they entered our home, signaled the start of a great evening. Dry gewürztraminer perfectly set off any seafood starter. Pinot noir with an entrée enhanced every meal. Cabernet sauvignon went so well with aged cheeses. Wine makes food taste better and food brings out the best qualities in fine wine. It is one of life’s ultimate symbiotic relationships. It’s as if Pavlov was a chef and his cooking changed our behavior at the dinner table.

It saddens this detective that a whole generation of young people have seemingly renounced the pleasures afforded them by wine. They have no idea what they are missing. The ever changing literature on wine and health keeps changing, but this detective is positive that wine is an effective social lubricant, one that reduces stress, and increases inquisitiveness.

For Jakelyn’s mother and me, wine has played a significant role in our lives. We have found every aspect of wine inspiring; from the dedication and perseverance of grape farmers to the commitment and playfulness of cellar rats, to the precision and talent of barrel makers and even the enthusiastic ramblings of wine salespeople. Our travels often focus on wine. We have enjoyed wine with our meals in dozens of countries around the world. Together, wine and food give an insight into a people, their culture and history that we might not get otherwise.

We were introduced to most of our friends at a table with bottles of wine and tasty food present. Chuy Palacios went from a stranger in a taco joint drinking Chalone Pinot Noir to my best friend. I respect Dr. Iggy Calamari, not just because he is a world class scientist, but as the man who actually uses wine to save people’s lives with his wine powered pacemaker. The hundreds of friends, guests and tourists who have shown up on our porch or at our table for a meal have always enjoyed the wine served with the food almost as much as Jakelyn’s mother and I took pleasure in hosting them.

Ivan Pavlov would love a three-hour lunch on Jake Lorenzo’s porch. There would be no bells, but the popping of wine corks should start him salivating. Classical conditioning at its finest, and it would make for a memorable afternoon.