In WSET class we learned that there is in fact, a right and wrong answer when it comes to reviewing wine. If you describe a Chardonnay as having rose petal and petrol aromas, you were wrong. If you thought a soft, expressive Pinot Noir could age for 30 years, you were most likely wrong as well. Not everyone in class enjoyed this strict code, but it’s how we were taught. A good wine has balance, complexity and depth, and we were all to agree on the quality wines, without room for interpretation.
I’ve only been trained in the WSET code, but I would guess that this tenet is universal. It’s impossible to learn a subject if you’re taught that any answer is correct, and the opportunities for flexibility are endless. But the problem comes in, when people expect this to work perfectly in the real world.
People get upset when they see Wine Enthusiast giving a wine 92 points and another magazine giving it 85. How can the difference be so big? It is expected that critics are trained to make wine objective, to even the playing field so that there is a digestible “right answer” about each wine.
Last week, my Google Alerts popped up with a blog post on a site called “Wine Rocks.”
Which wine would you rather drink?
Wine A: 81 points. Shows muted black cherry and spice aromas, with tightly wound plum, medicinal and herbal flavors and dry, papery tannins. Drink now.
Wine B: 90 points. This is a vigorous young Cab that will reward aging. It’s bright and savory in cherry-berry, herb, new oak and spice flavors, with rich, sweet tannins. Better after 2008 and through 2012.
You could see the punch line coming — this is the same wine, a 2004 Salvestrin Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine A is the Wine Spectator review, Wine B is the Wine Enthusiast review.
I would suggest that anybody who finds this upsetting, picks up a bottle of 2004 Salvestrin Estate, taste it, and decide whether you agree with James Laube or Steve Heimoff on this one. Wine is a living thing and there is so much room for variance. Though people should typically be in agreement on certain aspects, ageability being an important one (like above), it doesn’t always happen that way. In the end, the key is to find someone whose palate you respect be it magazine critic, blogger, friend, or local wine shop owner, even if the reviewers aren’t all in sync with each other.
A new book entitled, “The Wine Trials, a Fearless Critic Book” is causing a stir in the halls of the internet. I first read about it in a Newsweek article and intended on addressing the points, but the weeks escaped me and Eric Asimov beat me to it. Essentially, the book discusses the notion that people associate high quality wines with high price tags. It attempts to dispel this myth in a blind tasting study, in which $100 bottles of wine were sipped alongside wines as cheap as $1.50, and the cheaper were preferred. Then when price tags were made known, the expensive wines fared better.
When I first read the article, I found some validity in the claims. There are certainly expensive wines that are sludge and affordable wines that are magnificent. And people are inclined to like expensive wines– if only for the investment they’ve made– but also to save face. I’ve done it. In diploma class we discover a wine’s price tag after we’ve written our tasting note. But I’ll admit, I’ve been tempted to alter a harsh assessment of quality in a note after hearing that we’d just tasted a rare, expensive Burgundy. Geez, something must be wrong with me if I didn’t like it, right?
These points are true in most industries, especially luxury goods– wine isn’t the only culprit. I’ll never forget when I was in middle school and my friend bragged to me about a new purse she’d received from her mother at a large discount because they were in the fashion industry. I’d never seen a purse like it before, and I cringed. She assured me these purses were soon to be all the rage. I asked again: “Are you joking? That isn’t a hand-me-down from your Grandma?” She scoffted and told me the retail price, and I was ashamed. It was Louis Vuitton. Yeesh, I must not know anything about fashion! To me they did, and still do, look like Grandma purses, whether they cost thousands of dollars or not. Price and quality are not always correlated, I think we can all agree.
The problem however, as Asimov says as well, is the author’s method of proving this fact. Rule by the masses is never a sound judgment of quality. Just because a heck of a lot of people like something, does not make it great. Asimov uses McDonald’s as a great example, just like I used Louis Vuitton. Sure they have billions of restaurants, but does that mean they cook quality burgers?
In any case, what do you think? Is the popular vote a proof of quality? Should the Oscars, for example, be judged by popular vote? And does price dictate quality?
Wine-ing 2.0, the satiric, anti-wine blog site, has chosen me as their latest victim. I’ve finally hit the big time! If you’re not up to snuff on what Wine-ing 2.0 is, it’s hosted by three incog individuals who aim to attack every wine blogger out there, and even some traditional guys like good ol’ Bobby P. It is unclear what their motives are, but the posts are certainly raising chuckles throughout the blogosphere.
In their latest attack, they’ve named me as one of “5 Wine Bloggers Who Should Just Give Up” Admittedly, it stung for a moment. And then I read the other four who were named and realized I was in good company. Any list that includes Eric Asimov of the NY Times Blog, The Pour is a list I’m OK being on. And frankly, I’m pleased for the mention. I don’t intend on addressing their points as their “Daddy’s Little Girl” remarks were unoriginal and frankly, anticipated. But I will thank them for the additional visits I’ve been receiving!
Last week I did a post about choosing wines for a Secret Santa at the office. The first Secret Santa was for your boss. I challenged everyone to pick a wine that would impress for under $25 and got some great responses. This week I’d like to take the opposite tone. Let’s have a little fun and be grinchy, selecting a wine for our least favorite person at the office. This person irks you to no end. When they come near your desk you cringe . Unfortunately, you’ve had poor luck this year and they are the lucky victim of your secret santa purchase. So, what wine would you wish on your worst enemy? Let’s set a max of $25, though I probably don’t need a ceiling on this one.
I had a wine this Summer that I hated so much that I poured it down the drain, something I do very rarely. It was an Epiphany 2006 Grenache rose from Santa Barbara County, California. While it’s easy to knock rose, I disliked it for other reasons. I’ve had plenty of great roses in my day. I found this wine to be poorly made, lacking depth of flavor. The flavors present left a poor aftertaste in my mouth and I simply could not drink it. For $14, there are much better bottles out there. What is interesting about this wine also, is that it was selected as a Best Buy and awarded 90 points by our very own magazine! I’m not pointing that out to take credibility away from the mag, I’m simply making the point that people’s palates are different. There is something to be said for trusting your own instinct, though ratings can be a wonderful guide.
So that’s my pick for the “Lombard” of the office. What’s yours?
The holiday season is upon us, in full force. We’re passed Black Friday, Cyber Monday and in the full throttle weeks leading up to Christmas. Chanukah is here this week already! With the holidays often come traditions, one of the most common being the concept of “Secret Santa” in circles of friends and offices across the nation. I’m sure most people are familiar but basically you pick a name out of a hat, buy a present for your chosen person, and in turn a different “Secret Santa” (or Secret Snowflake as we call it at my politically correct office) buys a present for you. Everybody guesses who their Secret Santa is and it’s a real hoot.
There’s quite a gamble involved here though, wouldn’t you say? One never knows when entering the Secret Santa shenanigan who they’ll have to buy a gift for. Will it be someone you despise at work? Will it be your cubicle buddy? Will it be your work crush? Will it be your boss?
So let’s have some fun here. Let’s say you’re involved in a Secret Santa and you have to buy wine for your lucky victim. You have $25 at your disposal and you’d like to buy a wine that says something about the person you’ve chosen. In the next few days I’ll do a series of posts with a different “character” at the office who you’re buying for.
Let’s start off nicely in this first one. You’re buying for your boss who you’re really trying to butter up to. You want to impress him/her with a bottle that you love and stretch that 25 bucks as far as it can go.
I would get a William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 2004 if I could somehow get it at $25 otherwise a 2003 would do fine. Napa Cabs are always sure to please and this is an excellent bottle for the price. It was quite some time ago when I had it and I didn’t write down my notes but I remember it being rich with a long, pleasing finish. It’s serious enough to impress without going over budget.
What about you? What kind of kiss-up bottle would you buy for 25 bucks?
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving there was countless discussion on how to pair wines with the feast. American wines only! Budget wines only! Stick with Pinot Noir! The list goes on. The most interesting part of all this buzz– as some have pointed out– is that virtually every type of wine made somebody’s list. There was little to no consensus on the best wines to pair with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and all the fixins.
In my opinion, and as discussed on Lenn’s blog, it’s because the meal generally comprises a shmorgasboard of offerings of all textures and flavors. No wine is a perfect match for everything on the table. So, drink what you like!
Well now that all the turkeys have been carved, bottles opened, and waistbands put to the test… how did it all go down? I made a bit of an effort this year to actually remember some of what we had. There was certainly a lot, and even a few micro brews made it to the Strum household. Someone must have smuggled them in through the back door You’ll notice the myriad countries and grape varieties represented at our Thanksgiving feast. The U.S., France, Italy and Spain were all present. This is not a complete list, but gives you a flavor for what was served. I can’t remember everything! Wines
Spindrift Cellars Pinot Gris, 2006, Willamette Valley Oregon
Chanson Pere et Fils, Domaine Chanson Pernard-Vergelesses Les Coradeux Premier Cru, 2004
It’s that time of year again, when the major wine publications (us included) compile a list of their top 100 wines of the year. The suspense builds as people make predictions, place bets, hold contests, and the like. Some people love the pomp and circumstance around the event, and some find it vain, a way for certain magazines to cash in, garnering countless visits to their site as they painfully announce the wines two-by-two. I’ve heard some say the Top 100 are all fine and well, but who can afford them anyway?
So what do you think? Are you off to the store to buy the Top 100 wines?
In May we held a wine limerick contest over at the magazine. I must admit that when I first heard the idea I thought it was a little strange. Would people actually take the time to write up these things? Well, apparently they would and they did. A WHOLE LOT of them. The winning entries are pretty fantastic so I thought I would share a few of them with you. The full roundup is available on the magazine’s site. The winners of the contest are appearing in the Best of Year issue in December. Some personal faves:
If you can’t get your date to undress, go
And buy her a fine Barbaresco
Get the girl sipping
And soon she’ll be stripping
And begging to do it alfresco
—Jennifer Chotzi Rosen (1st place winner)
I once knew a fellow named Sweeney
Who spilled some gin onto his weenie.
Then just to be couth
He added vermouth
And slipped his young lass a martini.
—Faith Love, Chesterfield, VA (1st place winner)
A sommelier came home from the show
Found a man with his wife don’t you know
He was much madder still
When he saw the man swill The last drop of his vintage Bordeaux
—Dale Moir, Naperville, IL (2nd place winner)
Of drunkards, I once was the booziest,
As far as could be from the choosiest.
But I mended my ways For the rest of my days
By each month reading Wine Enthusiast. —Tom Schoeck, Albany, NY (2nd place winner)
A wine snob is the worst sort of brute
Sniffs the wine and the cork and the flute
Then he puts on an air
And he says with a flair
“Oh, I’d rather be smelling a boot!”
—Dale Moir, Naperville, IL (honorable mention)
There once was a young man named Turlough
Who got a bad bottle of Merlot.
He said, “It’s so lousy
So droopy and frowsy,
I think that I’m about to hurl-o.”
—Elliot Capon (honorable mention)
So, what makes people shy about wine? Please select the choice that most applies to you. Answers will be kept anonymous- and feel free to comment with any additions!
Binge drinking and stripping? Getting trashed in a limo? Tabletop dancing? Are these images becoming synonymous with wine tasting? I certainly hope not, but a recent article in the New York Times states that this may be the behavior that New York wineries are facing on weekends. Buses and limos full of people have been taking wine tasting trips which often get out of control. People trek to vineyards in the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions (places which have been struggling to gain credibility as decent wine producers) with the goal of getting sloshed for free, paying no mind to taste nor quality. It’s really a shame that people take advantage of the wonderful experience of enjoying free tastings. Wineries are now being forced to charge for pours- becoming more like countryside bars than vineyards. Though I certainly don’t condone drunk driving it is deplorable to rent a limo with the intention of hitting each winery on a strip like a Las Vegas bachelorette party. I hope folks can get it together, become adults and learn to appreciate wine as much more than a means of getting drunk. Otherwise we may start to see the diminishment of free wine tastings for good.
Subscribe in RSS
. Unfortunately, you’ve had poor luck this year and they are the lucky victim of your secret santa purchase. So, what wine would you wish on your worst enemy? Let’s set a max of $25, though I probably don’t need a ceiling on this one.
You’ll notice the myriad countries and grape varieties represented at our Thanksgiving feast. The U.S., France, Italy and Spain were all present. This is not a complete list, but gives you a flavor for what was served. I can’t remember everything!