Tooty, or Snooty? (fun article) and www.weimax.com has some interesting pages on it, as well as reasonable prices.
A source for Chilean wines, also.
weimax.com
WINE EXPERTS FOOLED AGAIN!
Can't Tell Red Wine From White Wine
(BORDEAUX, FRANCE...January 2002) A French wine "academy" has awarded its top prize to a researcher whose study found wine experts can't tell the difference between red wines and white wines!
Frédéric Brochet evaluated the terminology used in wine evaluation guides such as the French "Guide Hachette" and Robert Parker's "The Wine Advocate," amongst others.
He found certain terminology seemed to be reserved for white wines and other adjectives were more exclusive to reds.
One of the themes of the study was to see how "cultural information" affected the descriptions attached to the wines by the tasting participants.
To test and evaluate, Brochet coerced a number of participants (more than 50) to taste and describe wines. In one phase of the study, for example, he had the panelists evaluate white wines and describe them. A few days later he offered them the SAME WINES, but with a neutral coloring (so as not to affect the aromas or flavors). He found the panelists were more likely to use "red wine adjectives" when they were able to visually identify a wine as "red." On the other hand, "white wine adjectives" were more common when they viewed the glasses as containing "vin blanc."
Common red wine adjectives:
deep, intense, profound, raspberry, cherry, cassis, fruit, spice
Common White Wine Adjectives:
Gold, floral, fresh, pale, dry, apricot, citrus, straw, lively
Monsieur Brochet also set up the tasters by having them evaluate a wine which was presented as cheap "vin de table" and the other of the same wine (a Bordeaux Supérieur) which was presented as a prestigious bottling.
Keep in mind: SAME WINE.
Seventy-nine percent described the "prestigious" offering as "agreeable," while only 21% found the same wine as a "Vin de Table" to be so.
Seventy-seven percent described the prestigious wine as "good," while 23% found the same wine, presented as a less prestigious offering to be "good."
Sixty-five percent described the supposedly more costly wine as "balanced," while only 35% found the identical wine, passed off as a cheaper, everyday wine to be "balanced."
An interesting notation:
"Practices such as no fining or no filtration do not always have organoleptic repercussions, but it seems that knowledge of these elements influences representation."
I was at a Napa winery whose wines I have never found to be particularly stellar. In poking around the cellar, I noticed a filter. The proprietor nodded when I noticed this saying, "That's the filter Mr. Parker doesn't know we have."
No wonder the guy's wines get "extra credit!"
Another point made by this study:
"The subject perceives, in reality, what he or she has pre-perceived and finds it difficult to back away."
It gets down to perspective.
In visiting a German estate, we ran into a group of visitors from Wisconsin. They were primed to appreciate a "97 point" sweet wine being poured by the host at a winery.
These guys had read a review of this wine and were anticipating this to be a monumental experience.
Our little group had just come from a small estate and tasted a flock of wines which were, to our tastes, superior to the "97 point" wonder. These boys were primed to appreciate this wine, while our trio tasted and, certainly enjoyed the wine. I mentioned something to the effect of "if that's a 97 point wine, the ones we tasted an hour ago are 120 point wines."
I recall a Burgundy tasting which featured an unusually dark-colored wine which had been high rated by Robert Parker. Most of the Burgundy aficionados ranked this at the bottom, as it had little in common with Pinot Noir. On the other hand, a couple of Parker devotees ranked the wine in first place, armed with the confidence of the high rating and, therefore, that the wine is exceptional.
To further illustrate how pre-conceived impressions can color one's judgment, I recall participating in a tasting with the authors of Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines. One of the editors ranked a wine in first place, claiming it was a textbook example of a Heitz' "Martha's Vineyard" which he knew would be in the tasting. The rest of the group gave the wine a lukewarm reception.
Once the wines were unveiled, it seems the tasting organizer had forgotten (or neglected) to include the Heitz in the tasting!
For those not "in the know," the tasting was totally blind. For those who know what wines are being tasted, it's easy to look for certain features and award (or deduct) credit accordingly.
Brochet's study found that, for many, tasting only what's in the glass, is a difficult task! |
