Follow the flock or abandon the vinistry?

Do you follow the gospel of the vinistry? Do you buy according to the good book? In the wine aisle do you look to ratings to make your selection, trusting the good word of the vinistry of Parker, or Spectator, or do you evaluate and make choices on your own?

Blindly following the vinistries of wine critics is as ludicrous as blindly following a cult leader’s claim that salvation will come from aliens, comets, or any combination of the two. It is appalling how people who practice critical thinking in every facet of their life will blindly purchase a bottle because it has been awarded an arbitrary point value. Perfectly rational people become glazed-eyed cult followers the moment they hit the wine department. It’s as though shelf talkers possess the uncanny ability to eliminate free will.

A wine can be good, and you can not like it. You don’t assume that because one person finds comfort in the words of a baptist minister that you will too, so why assume the same of wines?

All I’m asking for is a little evaluation in the wine department. First step – acknowledge your tastes. If you really only like white wine a 100 point Syrah will still be red wine. If you have never found a Pinot that you liked, chances are the next 98 point release isn’t going to do much for you.

The one group of wine drinkers whom I’ve seen embrace their tastes are the sweet wine drinkers. Most sweet wine fans have tried enough tannic reds to realize that they aren’t going to like them, so they unapologetically pick up a bottle of Riesling to take to a friend’s house for dinner. Bravo! Wine is a beverage, not a measure of sophistication. Drink what you like and you’ll enjoy it more.

After you have acknowledged your tastes make an effort to figure out which publication has given high ratings to wines that you really enjoy. If you see a trend – go with it. It may not be as clear cut as you always like 90 + point wines from one mag or another – you could find that you love Robert Parker recommended whites, Wine Spectator recommended Pinots, and Steven Tanzer’s recommendations in Cabernets. Yes, it will require some effort on your part, but it is really the only way to glean any valuable information from ratings.

So now it’s up to you – take your advise from a piece of paper or drink more wine, learn what you like and trust your instincts. Seems like an easy choice to me.

2009 03 25

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A critique of the critic

Staring at row upon row of wines, shelves littered with signs declaring 91 point ratings, gold medal, best in class, or top pick International Wine Festival, can prove to be more than a bit overwhelming. Whose opinion do you trust? What does the rating scale even mean? Does everyone out there know more about wine than you? As wine gets more popular, more magazines classify and rate wine, and more wine drinkers fall prey to the opinions of others. This acceptance of the gospel of ratings has created a cult following in which your opinion is inconsequential.

The truth is when it comes to purchasing wine there is only one palate you should trust. Your own. After many years in the restaurant and wine businesses I have found that the most frequently asked question about any selection of wines is “What is your best?” Most consumers want a simple answer, which wine has won the most awards or which wine has the highest score from Wine Lovers Monthly. Unfortunately the answer is never that easy.

If you prefer white wines, the best wine for you is not a Cabernet blend. If dessert wines are more your style, a bone-dry Chardonnay won’t cut it. If you have to have that next big red, a top sparkling wine won’t impress you much. Where does that leave you? Are you now left bewildered in the wine aisle?

Luckily that is not the case. Wine shops hire people who really like wine. What they enjoy almost as much as drinking wine is talking about wine. This is where you come in. Take the time to find a good wine shop, or a liquor store with a broad selection of wines, ignore all the signs preaching other’s opinions, and tell the wine merchant what you like in wine or, almost more importantly, what you don’t like. Oenophiles love the challenge of trying to find the perfect wine. Beware – if you go into a wine store and ask for help finding a bottle and the clerk doesn’t ask about your tastes – turn around and walk out of the store. It is obvious that they are not trying to sell you a bottle, they’re just trying to sell a bottle.

Also please stop claiming a lack of sophistication when you say that you prefer white wines, sweet wines, lighter reds, or whatever else happens to be out of fashion at the moment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you don’t like a certain wine. Your palate is totally unique to you. Some folks love floral wine, others think they taste like perfume. Both of them are right, but only for their own palate.

It is time for the wine drinkers of America to start trusting their own palates and reclaim the experience of drinking wine, which, as a reminder, is supposed to be pleasurable not stressful. Occasionally you will come home with a wine you don’t love, but don’t worry, each time you try a new wine you learn more about your tastes. The more in tune you are with your palate the more likely you are to find a yummy bottle next time.

2009 01 29

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