ABSTRACT
In the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, William B. Fretter claimed that wine, almost self-evidently, can be an art object just as much as can a painting or a piece of music. In Fretter’s opinion (1971: 100), we cannot reach any other conclusion if we apply the criteria that feel natural in the case of an art object: ‘The beauty of wine is a controlled abstract beauty expressing the intentions of the artist.’ Fretter does not hesitate to call wines beautiful since
they give me maximum aesthetic satisfaction. They are complex and rich in the varieties of sensual impressions they make. . . . And for full appreciation they require a competent observer who can fuse the meanings of past experiences into a present experience.
