This blog celebrates wine. Good to great. Wine in context, not in isolation. It is a blog that unapologetically and unabashedly reflects my views and perspectives on wine. The appreciation of wine is, however, decidedly personal to each of us and I welcome your take on a given topic. There is room here for discourse, opposing viewpoints, and dare I say it, advocacy. Just remember to respect the rules of the site for leaving comments.
I hope the following will give you an idea of where I come from, and where I might be going, on the subject of wine. Do I have an opinion on most wine subjects? Of course. Do I expect you’ll agree with me in every instance? No. Would I appreciate your consideration of my view on a given topic and a thoughtful expression of yours? Absolutely!
What differentiates good wine from bad?
Good wine is multi-dimensional – complex in bouquet and on the palate.
Good wine entertains – bad wine bores.
Good wine inspires – bad wine disheartens.
Good wine tells a story – bad wine has a spiel.
Good wine stimulates – bad wine dampens.
There is dexterity, nuance, and refinement in good wine- crudeness, a one dimensional nature, and an overdone style can mark the bad.
Good wine is truthful to its place of origin and reflective of the passion and talents of the grower and winemaker who helped created it.
Good wine gives pleasure and although there are exceptions, is generally most at home as part of a meal.
Good wine is subtle, at times a mystery, hard to pin down. It is elusive and keeps you wanting to reach for the glass. As Hugh Johnson, one of the great critics, connoisseurs, and wine writers of our time, once noted, “Great wines don’t make statements, they pose questions.” I’m all about those questions and happy to accept I don’t have all the answers. I’d hazard that there may be more than one correct answer to each question posed.
Lastly, good wine does not lend itself to the certainty of math nor submit to the judgment of one person. If you’re looking for a tasting note that concludes with a score out of a 100, move on. I do intend, however, to give completely personal reviews on any number of wines I’ve tasted. Have a look at my post on the subject of scoring wines if you’d like a more detailed take on that topic – Fun with Scoring.
Although I will not be utilizing Robert Parker‘s 100 point scoring system, I’m happy to quote his list of the eight characteristics of a great wine with which I agree (Robert Parker Jr., The World’s Greatest Wine Estates, 2010 Simon & Schuster)
1) The ability to please both the palate and the intellect;
2) the ability to hold the taster’s interest;
3) the ability to offer intense aromas and flavours without heaviness.
4) the ability to taste better with each sip.
5) the ability to improve with age.
6) the ability to display a singular personality.
7) the ability to reflect the wine’s place of origin; and
8) the passion and commitment of the wine’s producers.
Passion for the Vine
A wine worth drinking has its own voice and doesn’t need, nor necessarily benefit from, an interpreter. I’ve had some formal training on the subject of wine, but the more I’ve learned, the more I’ve found that it’s best approached not through analysis, but from a simple passion for the drink itself. I fear, at times, that there is a growing wine culture that emphasizes and rewards the reduction of a given wine to a score or “authoritative” tasting note. All this at the expense of reflection and an allowance, no, even an appreciation, for ambiguity.
Perhaps Eric Asimov, New York Times chief wine critic and author said it best in his book, How to Love Wine (Eric Asimov, Reprint edition 2012, William Morrow), “…by overemphasizing the knowledge required to appreciate wine, our culture neglects the emotion necessary to love it.” He points out that the present wine culture tends to embrace an expert’s lecture instead of letting the wine in the glass do the talking. All things considered, I’m in agreement with this sentiment. I’d rather taste the wine and come to my own conclusions. I’m guessing that ultimately, you would too.
Now, enough about this one wine drinker‘s perspective. Let’s pour a glass and see what we think!