Tasting

Comparative 'tastings' are intended for professionals in the wine trade: buyers, distributors, reviewers, etc.

Amateur wine 'enthusiasts' will get nothing from such 'tastings'.

A wine that amateurs may find unappealing in a 'tasting' setting may be perfect with a meal, but the professional will recognize this and judge accordingly. The amateur does not have the experience and knowledge to judge wines this way.

Wines are meant to accompany meals. Outside of that context, judging them is a complete waste of time for amateurs.

Amateurs should drink wines with meals. This is the intended final destination of the product, and it is in this context ONLY that it should be judged by amateurs.

I drink wine often, almost always Italian. Yet I would not consider myself capable of judging any of the MANY Italian wines with which I am familiar outside of the meal context. If you placed 10 Barolos or Chiantis before me to taste alone, without a roast or steak, I would refuse to offer any opinion. Anything I would say about them would be worthless, and this would apply equally to every other amateur.

Hi,

While I will be the first to say that wine is truly made to accompany food as opposed to standing on it's own singular merits.

However ... yep .. there is always a "but" ....

I think , comparative tastings ... albeit formal ones or ones held at a wine store are truly valuable to all ... beginner and so-called "expert" alike.

I will take your example of Barolo ..... however this could equally apply to a cab, chard ...etc.

One of the distinct benefits of tastings without food is to be able to judge ( in you opinion and on your pallate .. not according to "experts" ) how each wine compares in its quality and in representing the varietal that it is made from.

Food, inevitably masks the ability to make the comparison.

When comparing the 10 barolos ... what is the balance of each, the acidity, the way the tannins "feel" in your mouth, the length, complexity and so on.

You might find Vintner A's to be really thin .. Vintner B's to be way too tannic and so one.

If a wine is "out of balance" ( again to your taste ) with out food ... it will not come "in balance" with food.

As you drink more .. and have more with your meals, you will come to know the characteristics of a given Barolo that makes it enjoyable to you. Once you have a grasp of these, then at such comparative tastings you will be able to, if nothing else, quickly weed out those that you know you won't like.

Don't worry if ... at such tastings you hear people give descriptions of the wine that is in exact opposite to what you are sensing. This happens to me all the time and is the source for lots of great arguments ( or "discussions ).

Finally there is the economic benefit. Let's say you want to try a new Barolo that you've not had and you already know some of the characteristic of one's you've tired and don't like. Then the comparative tasting at least gives you much better odds of bringing home a wine you will enjoy instead of spending your money and "hoping"

Art Stratemeyer ============================

Cellar! Wine Software

It is entirely possible (indeed probable) that a wine tasted alone would come off poorly compared to others tasted alone, but fare much better when drunk with a meal. Food changes everything.

Which the experienced amateur realises. And which many professionals seem to miss when awarding points.

You are right to point out the importance of food, but whether the taster is being paid or not is irrelevent.

And you seem to be ignoring the fact that in many cultures wine is NOT typically drunk with food. This is increasingly true in UK.

Hi Art,

OK, so you are a newbie Art ;-)))))

Do not answer this troll

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Steve

we are trying to get rid of the troll, you are feeding it....

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Art Stratemeyer ============================

Cellar! Wine Software

accompany

I don't believe he was adressing you, Mikey.

professionals

The explosion of 'tasting' by inexperienced, uneducated, unqualified people, who don't know the first thing about the relationship between food and wine is the problem I am addressing. People asking questions about the proper 'technique' for tasting is indicative of this cultural disease. If you have to ask, you have no business doing it.....

Do you always talk to yourself???

pavane

discourse on

That is a distortion of my position. I said a wine should not be JUDGED apart from its proper accompanyment (food) by AMATEURS (i.e., consumers).

Professionals who buy, sell, review, and produce wines, who have the proper education, experience, and knowledge, are able to judge how well a wine will match up with food, based on their experience and knowledge. Amateurs, even very experienced amateurs (including me) who have drunk Italian wines, for instance, for more than 30 years, are in no position to taste a Barolo or Barbera along with several others, others, without food, and evaluate how that wine would compare to the others with food.

I have the utmost respect for professionals in the wine business. Blondes trying various Pinot Griogios at a party don't qualify and have no business doing 'tastings'.

'Tasting' is for qualified professionals only. Do not attempt this at home.

I happened to be looking at a book at Barnes & Noble last week, written by a woman (the name escapes me now) who agreed with me substantially about not breathing wines, at least not mature wines.

See above.

"colonies"

I'm not convinced the guy is a troll, but I have certainly recently come to the conclusion there is no point replying further to his posts. I guess he is entitled to his opinions, but as he is not interested in anyone else's opinion there is not much point.

The issue of drinking wines with and without food however is an interesting one. I am actually a liitle surprised how much food *is* discussed in the context of wine over on AFW. I think maybe Americans are more keen emphasising the context than us Brits. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Americans

You are right: I am not interested in 'opinions', but I am interested in the comments of informed, experienced individuals who are not subscribers to popular myths.

I have been drinking wine for 30 years. I wasn't born yesterday.