Here in Kuala Lumpur you would have to pay people to drink white wine. Not because of taste or the fact that it is a refreshing beverage amid the scorching heat. No, because it isn't another kind of cool. This is far from the only example of wine as an affectation.

At some point most, if not all of us, turned to wine because it was classy to some extent. We longed to show how grown up, or successful we were by turning towards the perceived prestige of the grape. Being an acquired taste, the early days of wine exploration were either punctuated by cheap and sweet offerings or suffering through what we were told were wines we should like. As time went by we learned to enjoy a wider variety of wines, hopefully finding our footing so that we could suffer less, and enjoy more.

Price is due to demand and scarcity

Any number of people still drink wine for the labels instead of the taste. The rarity and price become the source of enjoyment. Some may argue that at a certain level of wine, this is always true. Does a one thousand dollar bottle of wine really taste better than a one hundred dollar bottle? The answer of course is sometimes, sometimes not.

The last Czar of Russia was so infatuated with ensuring that he was drinking the Champagne others could never afford, that he commissioned it to be bottled in clear crystal so that he and his guests could tell at a glance who was deserving, and who was not. Were he living today he may be aghast at those that follow his example.

Price can be a function of at least two things, the cost of producing a product, and the demand for that product. To make a great wine there is undeniably cost involved. Reduced yield, expensive barrels, better bottles, and the time between harvest and release. Once these are accounted for all of the rest of the price is due to demand and scarcity. There is only so much of that particular wine to go around.

Wine knowledge can be an affectation in of itself.

One subset of wine lovers is forever on the prowl for relative bargains, no matter their cost. The so called Super Seconds of Bordeaux became popular for this reason. Another subset of wine buyers, net necessarily lovers, are only interested in price and scarcity. Witness those California Cabs that sell out to subscribers, only to list at auction for a hundred times their purchase price, the very next day after release.

I have been fortunate enough to taste some of the most sought after wines in the world. Sometimes I have been impressed, sometimes less so. I have never had a bad wine among them, but then there shouldn't be.

Wine knowledge can be an affectation in of itself. Sometimes those buzzwords that a wine steward or dinner guest are throwing about are a shield against a deeper lack of substance. Those that attempt to intimidate may themselves wither beneath an onslaught of greater understanding. The more someone raves about "natural" and "orange" wines or whatever the wine press is all agog for at the moment, the more you have to wonder if their experience extends beyond the printed word. A true lover of wine wants to share knowledge, not wield it like a weapon.

Wine has long been the purview of the rich and powerful.

Affectation is also often found in fancy crystal glasses or decanters, and myriad accessories and rituals. While any number of these accouterments may bring joy, none are required to experience wine itself. In some instances they owe their existence to the very human need to control our environment. If one can not afford the wines they feel would elevate their status, or have not obtained the knowledge to wow their listeners, they turn instead to nicknacks that are easily acquired.

Wine has long been the purview of the rich and powerful. The great unwashed lived their lives swilling beer, only dreaming of what they might be missing. In today's considerably more egalitarian societies there are beers that rival wine in price, and affordable wines aplenty. Those who pine for exclusivity, and those who covet the lifestyle of the 1% have the opportunity to drink wines that most of us still dream of, but the wines the rest of us enjoy have never been better, and by all accounts might just go down all that easier.

Next time before you buy a wine, ask yourself "am I buying this for the prestige or the flavor?" Be honest. The answer ultimately doesn't matter. What matters is that the purchase and consumption of the wine brings you joy, but the honest answer still might surprise you.