I am in the Languedoc Wine Country.

Wine making is everywhere in southern France.  Today I visited a cave and one of the proprietors was inside serving up samples to clients and answering questions.  Behind the presentation area, several stainless steel vats lined the walls.  The owner was enthusiastic and was pleased that I would want to try wine from different grape types.  On the hillsides surrounding the cave were fields of grape vines growing in perfectly straight rows, each vine heavy laden with fruit.  What I witnessed is a passion and pride ... I believe these two words accurately describe the art of making wine.  (I could not help but recall an old episode of I Love Lucy that still makes me laugh; the link is below if you'd like to view.) There is no silliness in reality;  instead producing wine is a labor of love, no foot stomping, but a hands on operation with careful consideration of the cultivating, planting, picking, the bottling, cork and label selection ... quite an education for me to witness people caring about every detail of their work. 

To view "I Love Lucy" click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AGkG1LYOrc&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL81C39C81CE63B882