Languages and wine

September 2024

We were thrilled to meet so many wine enthusiasts at the ATC Thrive language industry unconference in Birmingham. As hosts of a wine-tasting break, Ewa and I had the pleasure of engaging in conversations about the connection between languages and wine.

We also received many mentions in social media posts:

”Viticulture and translation are, to me, twin crafts—both require precision, a respect for tradition, and an appreciation for subtle nuances,” says Ewa. ”I don’t really want to choose between them, so I immerse myself in both.”

Ewa is a partner and one of the four senior revisers at TextPartner. She specializes in marketing and medical domains but has also revised hundreds of thousands of words across multiple technical areas, including agriculture and, more specifically, viticulture. She is also a 17100-certified reviewer (i.e., a subject-matter expert) for that content, holding a postgraduate diploma in oenology from the University of Zielona Góra. Ewa has spent several seasons working at various European vineyards and wineries.

For the wine-tasting in Birmingham, Ewa selected two still wines: Saphira—a white, dry wine from Marek Krojcig in Poland—and Railway Hill Rosé from the Simpsons Wine Estate in Kent, UK. The selection process was not easy, given the thousands of wines to choose from. The same principle applies to revising content: you need to deeply understand a language, appreciate its nuances, and apply cultural flavors to help clients craft precise, natural messages about their products and services.

”Wine carries the essence of the land it grows from, and language is the expression of a culture’s soul,” shares Marek. ”That’s why every estate can offer unique expressions in their wines, while the local language can describe them uniquely, drawing from both history and culture.”

As a managing partner at TextPartner, Marek’s role in the company is to balance its purpose and profit. With his linguistic background, he finds it easier to focus on customer needs rather than balance sheets. Marek enjoys helping clients by organizing and automating their specific requests, and applying the latest technology to create new services or workflows. His hobbies, however, all take place outdoors: trail running, mountain hiking, mushroom foraging, and of course viticulture.

For the wine-tasting break, Marek chose two outstanding wines: a sparkling wine from Harrow & Hope in Buckinghamshire and a red Merlot—Thoma 26 Bogatte—from Winnice Czajkowski in Poland. Both wines are elegant and exceptional in their respective categories, originating from terroirs perfectly suited for viticulture and representing excellence in expressing the unique characteristics of their land.

The last wine, which became available only on the raffle for Translators without Borders and helped raise a total of 240 GBP, was a “Joanniter 2023.” Grown and cared for under an organic regime and made with care and love into the 2023 vintage wine by Ewa, Marek, and their friend Piotr. The grapes—100% hand-harvested Johanniter—come from a boutique-sized vineyard with rich, living soil. It is located near their home in Zielona Góra, Poland.

“This is the first wine we have ever made, resulting from a whole season of commitment and hard viticultural work. It is therefore very unique and very dear to us. We are happy to donate it to raise money for Translators without Borders. It is a very aromatic wine, full of floral and stone fruit notes. It is very fresh on the palate, easy to drink solo, and easy to pair with a light meal. However, it should be opened soon because it has a very low SO₂ content. The perfect temperature to serve – 8°C.

The label design is a playful take on old photographs of traditional winemakers, who are typically men and often have mustaches. Also, Ewa’s second name is Joanna, so “Joanniter” suggests it is ”her wine” from Johanniter grapes - yet another example of how language is used to make wines special and unique!

Please, feel free to send us your enquiries about wine or languages - we will be more than happy to assist you!