Of Wines, Grapes and Wineskins

Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." (Mat 9:17)

Recently we celebrated the birthday of Uncle Peng Hong. In the festivity and appropriate for the occasion, there was brought to the table, some bottles of beautiful red wine. They were of great color, fragrance and body. The wine was colored a deep rich ruby-red, with a bouquet to match. There was that smoky aroma reminiscent of oak. The wine completed the evening handsomely with a taste that fulfilled the promise, and expectation, of eyes and noses.

Wine has always been associated with celebration and good-times. Good wine is not an accident of nature. It takes quality grapes of particular genuses, properly cultured throughout the growth stages preferably endowed with most suitable climatic conditions, precisely harvested at just the right maturity. The Old school required and dictated specific locations religiously. Duly harvested, properly cleaned then carefully crushed, the grape-pulp is prepared for fermentation with much painstaking diligence.

To ensure the continued supply of good wine, much work has to be done; the techniques, the care and preservation of the vineyard, the ongoing crops, the experience, the history. In ancient times, fermentation was effected using wineskins. It was foolishness to put new wine into used old wineskins because the fermentation would effectively rupture the old skins. We would have needed to find new wineskins to fill the newly crushed grapes to continue the process of making wine. In a time when there were no vats or bottles, the futures for wine will be at jeopardy, if no new wineskins were made available. Wine supply would literally dry up when all the current wineskins are drained. Unless there is an unrealistic expectation for further miracles to continually turn water into wine immediately, the more reasonable approach would be to ensure the nurture of the grapes and sheep for wineskins.

Imagine, a scenario when that generation will have less and lesser access to fine wines. Will the day dawn, when we would have forgotten what choice wine is? How then would we celebrate life? Wine makes the meal, promotes the moods and accentuates the occasion. It will be a sad day when choice wine no longer graces our tables.

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. (Isa 25:6)

We need new wine that will age and mature well. We need choice grapes to be crushed in preparation for the brew. We need wineskins, fit and ready for the LORD’s use.

O’LORD, bless us in this our search. Amen.

God bless.


/ckh