Last week, an email I forwarded to wine writer Steve Heimoff ended up on his blog and resulted in a heated online debate (84 comments was the last count) about ethics and the value of wine reviews in the digital age. It makes a great reading, and if you have the time, I suggest you follow the above link to his blog to read the thread.
A few days later I ran into a colleague that saw the piece and hinted he thought that I did a clever thing to ensure I get good reviews from Mr. Heimoff. I did not care for the remark, even if though I know it was said in joking. This got me thinking and doing a little soul searching and I thought I’d share with you my views on the matter of wine reviews from the standpoint of (one) winemaker.
First and foremost: I was a wine lover and consumer before I became a winemaker. I can’t recall EVER making a wine purchase decision based on a score or a favorable published review. I have often (and still do) buy a wine recommended by a waiter, sommelier, chef, store clerk and once – the recommendation of my satellite dish installer (I live in the country where we have no cable).
Folks, let’s call wine reviews what they really are: wine opinions. We often end up talking to people in the tasting room about wine tasting and there are three examples I tend to use to illustrate my convictions and try to make them feel comfortable with their own palate impressions:
Example No. 1
Consider the following two descriptions:
“Powerful aroma, bursting with layers of eastern spice, mouth coating flavors that rise to a crescendo of lively sensations, uber-long finish with a slight minty aftertaste. Can’t wait to have some more. 96 Points – S.P.”
“Starts off with a pungent chemical aroma, texture felt rubbery, disjointed and unrefined flavors on the hot side of the spectrum, unpleasant petroleum-eucalyptus finish. Almost made me gag. 74 Points – O.S.”
Both are accurate (and one of them true) descriptions (reviews?) of eating black licorice.
Example No. 2
I am an amateur movie buff who used to love watching Siskel & Ebert and learn about what’s coming out on the silver screen. When the movie “Reservoir Dogs” came out, they both gave it a bad review (I think it was two thumbs down that was later revised to one). Boy, am I glad I went to see the movie… an absolute classic in my book.
Example No. 3
You wake up in the morning after not sleeping very well the night before. On the way to the bathroom, you stub your toe on the leg of your dresser. You make yourself a coffee and realize the milk you used in it expired in 1969. On the way to work, you get a speeding ticket. The day drags on and on your way to a wine tasting you have been looking forward to attend you manage to fight with your significant other about some trivial bullshit matter. At the tasting, you run into your ex girlfriend with her new, millionaire boyfriend. You have a taste of (really) the best wine ever produced in the history of mankind. Believe me, to you, it tastes like shit.
You wake up in the morning and take the dog for a walk in the redwoods. On the way to work you stop to help a motorist with a flat tire and get a doze of real gratitude. Your honey calls and you both leave work early and drive to the cliffs over the local beach. You stop on the way at a gas station with a deli and grab a sandwich and a bottle of red wine (you don’t even bother reading the label). You sit and watch the sunset, drinking wine from Styrofoam cups. It tastes like the nectar of the Gods.
Having read that, you may ask: “Oded, if that is the case, how come you send your wines to be reviewed?” And my answer is that I live in the real world and since my sales staff work partially on commission, I am obliged to give them the tools they need to do their job. Ask the tasting room staff if you wish, but I have on a few occasions asked them to remove a plaque or one of those silly ribbons given to one of our wines from display. To me it is as embarrassing as driving with a sticker that says “My daughter is an honor student”.
That is, of course, not the whole story but this piece is getting too long for the blog format. So I’ll deal with more in part two. Stay tuned.
