For millennia wine has been a favored beverage, an object of love for many people, with a spiritual dimension, given its position in many religious rituals.
Why? It’s not just because it tastes good or gets you drunk. Lots of foods and beverages taste good and alcohol is easy to find at much less cost than a good bottle of wine. None of them are suitable objects of love.
What makes wine special? My 3 Quarks essay this month tries to answer this question.
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 