“At its best” says neuropsychologist Mark Solms with an Albert Einstein soft afro “wine-making is just another art form” by way of background to the decision to showcase the wines of his Solms Delta farm in Franschhoek at the Bonhams South African Art Sale preview in London later this month.

But is it wine, Professor Solms?

Biodynamic winemakers may call themselves “artists of the earth” but is Jeff Grier from Villiera really on the same wavelength as New York consumer artist Jeff Koons whose iconic Pink Panther sculpture is expected to be knocked down for $30 million at Sotheby’s in May? Is the wine cellar the new art studio? Does the tasting room do for mouth and nose what the gallery does for the eye?

While icon wines from rare vintages may attract silly money on auction in Hong Kong, just like the Pink Pantheresque sculptures of Dylan Lewis (the Jeff Koons of Klapmuts) did at Christie’s in London a couple of years ago, no art critic would dare score William Kentridge 16 out of 20 in the same way that wines are routinely assessed. Conversely, while many a parent may insist their child can paint a Pink Panther better than Picasso, few would claim their offspring could produce a drinkable Pétrus.

But is Professor Solms correct, is wine-making art? Wine is first and foremost, a natural process. As Paul Draper, philosopher and winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California puts it “what is fine wine all about? Let’s start from the point that making a wine is a natural process.”

In conversation with UK wine writer Andrew Jefford in Questions of Taste: the philosophy of wine (edited by Barry Smith, Signal, 2007), Paul agrees with Andy’s assertion that “greatness in wine comes primarily from its place of origin, but requires the will and experience of the wine grower to be able to express its greatness. Wine is not, therefore, an artistic creation like a piece of music or a sculpture” of a Pink Panther.

Paul agrees. “Wine is not a created work. What we do is more akin to what a performer does with a piece of music.” But then as Marcel Duchamp proved a century ago with his ready-mades (including a urinal he cheekily titled “fountain”) while some winemakers and wine writers may declare than wine is not art, artists are quite at liberty to call anything they like, art. Including the fermented fruit of the vine, presumably.