Tiếng ViệtI first met James at the Tastin’ France 2024 event in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the founder of the Same River Twice winery, nestled in the southern Rhone Valley of France. Though originally from London, James chose to dedicate his life and his family’s alongside the vineyards of Same River Twice.
James greeted me with a bright, enthusiastic smile as we began our conversation. “We have many stories to share with you,” he said.
He invited me to taste each of his wines, and with every sip, he offered profound and passionate explanations. A minimalist at heart and a staunch advocate for sustainability, James’s ethos was reflected in his natural winemaking practices and his commitment to environmental preservation, even down to the design of his wine bottles.
The most intriguing aspect was the name of his winery, Same River Twice, inspired by the philosophy of Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher: “We go down twice into the same river, and yet into a different river. For the stream keeps the same name but the water has already flowed past.” This means that no one can step into the same river twice, for the river has become something entirely different.
This philosophy profoundly speaks to the human experience. The books we read at 18 differ vastly in impact when read at 38 or 58. The music we hear for the first time resonates differently as we grow older. We, ourselves, are in a constant state of flux, continually evolving over time.
The same holds true for wine. A bottle may retain its name, but it transforms from one vintage to the next. It even changes from the moment you uncork it until the last drop. Life is an incessant flow, always moving, always changing.
