Recently, I have read in a couple of newspapers that, thanks to the defence and insistence of the Jumilla Oenologists’ Association, the RAE is finally going to remove the meaning of the word “caldo” as a reference to wine. I do not know the veracity of the information, but if it is, I am afraid that it will be inevitable that there will continue to be people insisting on the unfortunate term.
However, it must be recognised that the meaning of “broth” has an origin and a meaning, because in ancient times, the conception of wine was different from the way we understand it today. Wine had, above all, a nutritional purpose, so it was heated and mixed with herbs, fruit or honey, to provide the workers with a good number of calories with which to face the hard days of work. Over time, wine became purer and purer until it became the drink we enjoy today.
Despite this, there are still a considerable number of people today who use the word “caldo” to refer to wine. Many of them do so as if they were displaying to their interlocutor a knowledge of the subject, believing it to be part of the usual oenological jargon, when, in fact, they are only displaying a certain ignorance.
I don’t know anyone who knows anything about wine who uses such a term. If we think about it, a broth is the result of cooking a food, be it meat, fish or vegetables. The result can be fantastic, especially at certain times: who doesn’t fancy a warm broth in winter? However, it has nothing to do with wine. Grapes are not cooked, but fermented to become alcohol, namely wine. But this process, which seems so simple, has a before and after, because it starts in the field, once a year, and ends up resting in a bottle, sometimes for decades. It is a process that requires effort in many areas and, of course, time.
If we want to know about wine, let us drink, taste, study and travel, but let us stop using terms, such as “caldo”, that have nothing to do with wine, thinking that they are part of the jargon of the wine world. Therefore, I hope it is true that the RAE will take this step and abolish the term, it would be appreciated. Then, the only thing missing would be to give it the necessary publicity so that it becomes known to everyone.