Grapes of wrath
So I am working at a small wine shop down in the US for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of things that are different (prices! products) and a lot of things that are the same (rambly, weird customers). One of the biggest differences that I am noticing is that a lot of people here are obsessed with scores from Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and so on. Now I’m not going to say that I have never encountered people who care about scores before, but never have I met so many people obsessed with them. Wine Spectator released their top wines of 2011, and the next day there were signs up all over the store labelling the wines and where they featured in the list. It bugs me because wine reviews are often indecipherable, a bit suspicious, and mostly bullshit.
I totally understand why there are wine reviews, when you go into a wine shop and see rows upon rows of unfamiliar labels it’s overwhelming. For the expensive stuff it makes sense too, you want to be assured that you are getting your money’s worth if you are spending hundreds of dollars on wine. I totally get that. However, since the wine vending machines never quite caught on wine stores are fully staffed with employees who are knowledgeable about their products, and can help guide you to wines that you like. Most importantly, they can ask you questions to find out exactly what you are looking for, get a sense of your personal taste, and make recommendations that are custom tailored to you.
I know that wine reviews are extremely helpful for people, and that they aren’t going anywhere. I think they are a useful tool but they shouldn’t be the only tool you employ in your quest for the good stuff. There are so many good wines that fly under the radar, it’s a shame to ignore them just because there is no review.
Also: Everyone here pronounces the ‘c’ at the end of blanc. This is tolerable when Sauvignon Blanc becomes, ‘so-vinyon blonk’ but really awful when tasty Blancs des Blancs Champagne becomes ‘blonk day blonk’.
/rant
Nothing to see here.
Reviews and ranking systems allow the casual participant of any specialized field to feel as though they have done their dudilligence and that they are making an informed choice, without investing an enthusiast level of hours. They are also a wonderful marketing tool, which in this instance, seems to be working really well. Embrase the rankings, and revel in the fact that you, yourself, are enjoying the cult classics, and keep us, your readership, up to date on your newest and greatest finds.
Chin, chin.
- Brad
Posted by Brad Bell | December 17, 2011, 5:13 pmI will certainly do my best to convey to you the stuff that is really worth finding. I may not embrace the rankings but I will certainly accept them for what they are, and accept that a lot of people put a fair bit of stock into them. Thanks for the comments Brad!
Posted by Robin | December 17, 2011, 9:59 pm