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Wine (alt.food.wine) Devoted to the discussion of wine and wine-related topics. A place to read and comment about wines, wine and food matching, storage systems, wine paraphernalia, etc. In general, any topic related to wine is valid fodder for the group. |
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Insanity of the wine industry
"Vincent Vega" > wrote in
: > > "Mark Lipton" > wrote in message > ... >> >> >> Vincent Vega wrote: >> >> > I just read the "Official Guide to Wine Snobbery" >> > >> > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...7/104-7594829- 92 > 75134?v=glance >> >> It sounds interesting and amusing. >> >> > >> > >> > The book is a great read and reinforces my speculation about the >> > wine industry and wine snobs. I have come to the conclusion that >> > most (90% > and >> > above) wine snobs really don't know much about wine. These people > simply >> > repeat what it is they heard other people say about wine. >> >> And how do you identify a wine snob? Do they bear some sigil upon >> their > clothing that >> provides for ready identification? Personally, I find it difficult >> in > the extreme to >> identify a snob upon casual encounter, as it is difficult to know the > internal working >> of their minds. No doubt you have cracked this conundrum... > > In my experience, I am defining a "wine snob" as a person who > pretends to know more about wine than they really do. > >> >> > >> > Meanwhile, Person "C" knows that no matter what he says about wine > (within >> > reason), Persons "B" and "A" will eventually consider fact. With >> > this > type >> > of persuasion Person "C" is free to say or make up anything he/she > wants. >> > Person "C" eventually gets a job as a wine judge or wine columnist >> > while > his >> > subjectiveness permeates the industry and "winemakers" shake their >> > head > in >> > confusion. The winemakers are left to face the fact that > subjectiveness, >> > copycatting and creative writing will dictate the industry. >> >> Tasting *is* subjective. Anyone who suggests otherwise has been >> asleep > during all >> their science and philosophy classes. The best that anyone can hope >> for > from a wine >> critic (or a film critic, or a music critic) is that the reviewer's >> tastes > are fairly >> similar to the reader's. Barring that, the reader can at least gain >> some > appreciation >> for how their own tastes differ from the reviewer's, which can also > provide some measure >> of guidance from their reviews. > > Exactly,, subjective is the key. There are specific and scientific > flaws in wine that can make them inferior. A wine with no chemical > imbalances can be rated from 70 - 94. This score range is > "subjective". Take for instance a few years back a Pennsylvania > champaign manufacturer submitted one of his sparkling wines to a local > award show. He won a bronze medal. He then submitted the same > sparkling wine to an international competition in Paris. He won best > of show. . Either the PA judges made a mistake or the French judges > made a mistake, or there isnt much difference between a 70 and a 90 > rating. Examples like this are common > >> >> > >> > >> > I never listen to wine TV shows and only read the wine spectator >> > and > such to >> > keep up on industry trends. But I was flicking the channels the >> > other > day >> > and I heard this wine connoisseur on the food network talking to a >> > chef > in >> > California when she made the comment that "the Sauvignon Blanc they >> > were drinking was clearly from the Northern Coast of California >> > because it > was >> > high in acidity" LOL ROFLMAO. Now I know someone watching that > program is >> > going to repeat that, the next time they drink a white from >> > Northern > Cali. >> > And they will convince people that they know a lot about wines for > making >> > such an observant statement. And that statement will get passed > meanwhile >> > building the credentials of whoever repeats the line. >> > >> > The only problem is that anyone who has a beginners knowledge of > winemaking >> > knows that acid additions are currently practiced by just about >> > wine producing nation in the world,, even if they don't tell you. >> >> Sorry, that just ain't so. Many important wine regions have explicit >> laws > against >> acidification. California doesn't because of lack of acidity that >> plagues > many of its >> wine regions; conversely, California has very strict laws about the > addition of sugar >> ("chaptalization") that don't exist in parts of France where the >> grapes > will often not >> fully ripen. Bottom line: the regulations are typically >> self-serving for > the region >> involved; if we don't need to add acid, we'll outlaw the practice. > > Sorry,, you are wrong. Obviously you havent had any HONEST > conversations with French winemakers. Next thing you are going to > tell me is that they dont use sulphites. If you understood the > complex reasons for acid additions you would realize why it cold be > necessary from year to year in all parts of the world. The French > purchased illegal oil from Iraq at discounted prices so Saddam could > build more palaces,, you think they wouldnt add a little tartaric acid > to their wines if they had to? > >> >> > The fact that >> > a wine is high in acidity could not possibly indicate where it is >> > from. >> >> Tried a Savennieres recently? ;-) > > No,, but my statement remains true. > >> >> > The more I am force to understand the marketing of this industry, >> > the > more I >> > am convinced of its insanity. I think someday I will write a book >> > that exposes the foolishness and symantics of the wine industry. >> >> In my experience, most of the people who make the wines I like are > down-to-earth, >> striaghtforward and sensible about their craft and trade. Moreover, >> these > same >> winemakers share for the most part a genuine passion and enthusiasm >> for > what they do. >> Most will shake their heads about the various insanities and >> inanities > perpetrated by >> the more mendacious and pretentious of their colleagues. It sounds >> like > you need to >> hang out with a better crowd... > > Not sure what you mean by that. Its the winemakers whom I am > defending. It is their market and their critics who turned the > industry into giant ruse. > > > > That is assuming that a bronze rating is a 70 wine, I would think a bronze would be a 90+ though I would grant you a spread of + or - 5 points on a given panal of judges. |
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Insanity of the wine industry
> > > > That is assuming that a bronze rating is a 70 wine, I would think a > bronze would be a 90+ though I would grant you a spread of + or - 5 > points on a given panal of judges. Typically in wine competitions a wine is judged on a point basis. If the highest possible point score 18 points,, (say 6 points for nose, 6 points for appearance and 6 points for taste). In this scenario in most wine competitions a score of 13 would be bronze. 13 divided by 18 = 72 percentage points. This is not the rule for all competitions but it is typical. |
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Insanity of the wine industry
"Vincent Vega" > wrote in
: > >> > >> >> That is assuming that a bronze rating is a 70 wine, I ze. > > 13 divided by 18 = 72 percentage points. This is not the rule for all > competitions but it is typical. > > > That assumes that a rating of 90 somehow equates to 90% but water could score a 50 (IIRC) the two systems just don't equate that way at all. |
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Insanity of the wine industry
"jcoulter" > wrote in message ... > "Vincent Vega" > wrote in > : > > > > >> > > >> > >> That is assuming that a bronze rating is a 70 wine, I > ze. > > > > 13 divided by 18 = 72 percentage points. This is not the > rule for all > > competitions but it is typical. > > > > > > > > That assumes that a rating of 90 somehow equates to 90% but > water could score a 50 (IIRC) the two systems just don't > equate that way at all. Im not playing semantics here. I am just sharing my first hand experience. My point, which you seem to be missing, is that judges seem capable of determining if a wine is "flawed" or "not flawed",, any scoring about "not flawed" is totally subjective and is determined by personal taste but more importantly (from a marketing standpoint) by heresay, reputation, supply and demand and "who knows who". This is the dark secret of the wine industry. |
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Insanity of the wine industry
"Vincent Vega" > wrote in
: > > Im not playing semantics here. I am just sharing my first hand > experience. My point, which you seem to be missing, is that judges > seem capable of determining if a wine is "flawed" or "not flawed",, > any scoring about "not flawed" is totally subjective and is determined > by personal taste but more importantly (from a marketing standpoint) > by heresay, reputation, supply and demand and "who knows who". This > is the dark secret of the wine industry. > > My pint is that the deifference between first and third in any competiton is often narrow |
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Insanity of the wine industry
jcoulter > wrote in
: > My point is that the difference between first and third in > any competiton is often narrow and "no one" is going to drink a wine that gets a 70 and call it anyting but garbage. Look at what gets 80's and advertises the fact. (apologies to Max and others for the failure to snip my other reply) |
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