This is philosophy bites with me David Edmonds and me Nigel Warton.

Philosophy bites is available at W.

Thats.

If philosophy drives you to alcohol, don't expect any respite.

For booze is no longer a philosophy free zone.

Barry Smith, who teaches at Birkbeck College London, has come up with a cunning ruse to combine his profession

and his passion, philosophy with wine.

Barry's edited a philosophy book on wine, questions of taste.

So what philosophical issues does wine throw up?

Here's one.

Are there objective standards of wine or is my opinion just as legitimate as yours.

And here's another related question.

When I drink wine and savour its look, smell and taste, am I identifying independent characteristics

of the wine?

Characteristics that I, the taster, am as it were, discovering

in the wine itself, or is the taste of wine just inside me?

Barry, welcome to Philosophy Bites.

Hi, Nagell.

There's a story about the philosopher Jean Poussarge that he got into phenomenology.

He's sitting in a cafe looking at a glass of water.

He says, look, I can actually do philosophy

about this glass of water in a cafe you've gone one better you're doing philosophy

...