Comments on: One in One Hundred http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/ Find Better Wines Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:21:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: betsey http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-36 betsey Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:54:55 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-36 I can attest to the fact that Philip has always been a big fan of Bounty Hunter and looked to them as a model company, so it is unfortunate that he had this experience while visiting their winebar, given that the odds of it happening were 1 in 100! I can attest to the fact that Philip has always been a big fan of Bounty Hunter and looked to them as a model company, so it is unfortunate that he had this experience while visiting their winebar, given that the odds of it happening were 1 in 100!

]]> By: Sung http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-37 Sung Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:49:12 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-37 Great post! I've encountered numerous situations where I found the wine undrinkable at a restaurant or bar but felt it was rude of me to bring it up. I felt as if I were at the mercy of the bartender who might notice that I wasn't drinking my wine, which happened on a couple of occasions, but definitely not the norm. Great post! I’ve encountered numerous situations where I found the wine undrinkable at a restaurant or bar but felt it was rude of me to bring it up. I felt as if I were at the mercy of the bartender who might notice that I wasn’t drinking my wine, which happened on a couple of occasions, but definitely not the norm.

]]> By: Denis http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-38 Denis Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:16:06 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-38 I share 100% of Philipp's opinion as I already experienced the same. Not in the USA but in Spain last summer. Unfortunately, some staff memebers sometimes don't have the right reaction... Let's not be shy to ask the management of the restaurant (if this restaurant claims to be qualified to serve wine) to admit that the wine is corked, when it is ! Another good reason to use either synthetric corks (Altec for instance) or screwcaps (for most of the whites and roses, some light, easy and young reds). I share 100% of Philipp’s opinion as I already experienced the same. Not in the USA but in Spain last summer.
Unfortunately, some staff memebers sometimes don’t have the right reaction…
Let’s not be shy to ask the management of the restaurant (if this restaurant claims to be qualified to serve wine) to admit that the wine is corked, when it is !
Another good reason to use either synthetric corks (Altec for instance) or screwcaps (for most of the whites and roses, some light, easy and young reds).

]]> By: RA Kacz http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-39 RA Kacz Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:38:52 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-39 Unfortunately what seems to have happened in this case is a situation in which the server has not been trained in proper customer service. Corked wine exists and for a server in any establishment to argue with you or tell you your wrong because of the reason you have given to send something back is simply not acceptable. One should not need to explain. As a customer we have rights and we should expect the server/vendor to honor same.. This is a great way to loose business and unfortunately for the rest of the wine industy this type of uneducated snobbery only adds to the inaccessability of wine enjoyment to the masses. Unfortunately what seems to have happened in this case is a situation in which the server has not been trained in proper customer service. Corked wine exists and for a server in any establishment to argue with you or tell you your wrong because of the reason you have given to send something back is simply not acceptable. One should not need to explain. As a customer we have rights and we should expect the server/vendor to honor same.. This is a great way to loose business and unfortunately for the rest of the wine industy this type of uneducated snobbery only adds to the inaccessability of wine enjoyment to the masses.

]]> By: Rodolphe http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-40 Rodolphe Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:44:57 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-40 A sharply dressed young man goes out to a restaurant with an attractive young woman. He orders a bottle a bottle of wine. When it arrives, he sends it back brusquely. The restaurant owner returns with a second bottle of the same wine. The young man proceeds to refuse this bottle as well. The restaurant owner returns again with a new bottle. This time the young man winks at his female companion and triumphantly accepts the wine with a snide comment like "Ahhh, that's better." The restaurant owner responds that the third bottle is actually the first bottle again! What's my point? Well, until both ends of the wine server-wine drinker dynamic start to take quality control more serously, millions of poeople are going to stay turned off of wine. Bad bottles are an enormous problem and have nothing to do with machismo (the young man showing off for his date) or "mistaking oak tastes for wet cardboard" (Philip's experience), these unpleasant experiences will continue. Although, many wine faults have been corrected by new winery equipment and technology, I still regularly receive corked or oxidized (too old) wines in bars and restaurants. Some cynics even think that cork taint is on the rise as the cork industry struggles to stay competitive with other closure technologies... I would have hoped that a forward-thinking, discover-great-new-wines company like Bounty Hunter would have (a) someone checking the bottles before serving them, (b) a more friendly and less wine-snobbish staff, and (c) trained the staff on what TCA actually tastes like! Until the wine industry settles on a new closure to replace the venerable cork, this problem isn't going to go away. Bravo, Philip for standing your ground in Napa and telling us all about it. PS - If you don't know what TCA or "cork taint" tastes like you should have a friend at a bar or restaurant save a corked bottle for you. Since the fault only gets worse once the bottle is opened, you should have no problem identifying it. You used to be able to purchase vials of TCA on the internet for educational purchases... but I couldn't find any sites still selling them. A sharply dressed young man goes out to a restaurant with an attractive young woman. He orders a bottle a bottle of wine. When it arrives, he sends it back brusquely. The restaurant owner returns with a second bottle of the same wine. The young man proceeds to refuse this bottle as well. The restaurant owner returns again with a new bottle. This time the young man winks at his female companion and triumphantly accepts the wine with a snide comment like “Ahhh, that’s better.” The restaurant owner responds that the third bottle is actually the first bottle again!

What’s my point? Well, until both ends of the wine server-wine drinker dynamic start to take quality control more serously, millions of poeople are going to stay turned off of wine. Bad bottles are an enormous problem and have nothing to do with machismo (the young man showing off for his date) or “mistaking oak tastes for wet cardboard” (Philip’s experience), these unpleasant experiences will continue. Although, many wine faults have been corrected by new winery equipment and technology, I still regularly receive corked or oxidized (too old) wines in bars and restaurants. Some cynics even think that cork taint is on the rise as the cork industry struggles to stay competitive with other closure technologies…

I would have hoped that a forward-thinking, discover-great-new-wines company like Bounty Hunter would have (a) someone checking the bottles before serving them, (b) a more friendly and less wine-snobbish staff, and (c) trained the staff on what TCA actually tastes like! Until the wine industry settles on a new closure to replace the venerable cork, this problem isn’t going to go away. Bravo, Philip for standing your ground in Napa and telling us all about it.

PS - If you don’t know what TCA or “cork taint” tastes like you should have a friend at a bar or restaurant save a corked bottle for you. Since the fault only gets worse once the bottle is opened, you should have no problem identifying it. You used to be able to purchase vials of TCA on the internet for educational purchases… but I couldn’t find any sites still selling them.

]]> By: philip http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-41 philip Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:53:01 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-41 Some great comments, thank you all for the input. I think its worth pointing out that Denis is the President of Baron Francois, a wine importer based in New York. If anyone is qualified to determine if a bottle is corked it is him. Some great comments, thank you all for the input. I think its worth pointing out that Denis is the President of Baron Francois, a wine importer based in New York. If anyone is qualified to determine if a bottle is corked it is him.

]]> By: Oliver http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-42 Oliver Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:00:32 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-42 I think it's perfectly legitimate for Philip to point this type of pretension out. The worst offenders are wine bars and restaurants at the highest end of the price scale which is a shame because the customer is already intimidated when it comes to ordering wines at these establishments so to get poor service and have someone doubt one's opinion on a wine is doubly humiliating. Possibly lack of education on their part, possibly the fact that the wines they are serving tend to be expensive so they don't like to take them back. Either way, totally unacceptable. My view is that any server worth their salt at a high-end establishment should nose a bottle of wine properly before serving it to clients to make sure it is not tainted. That saves everyone from potentially awkward situations. I think it’s perfectly legitimate for Philip to point this type of pretension out. The worst offenders are wine bars and restaurants at the highest end of the price scale which is a shame because the customer is already intimidated when it comes to ordering wines at these establishments so to get poor service and have someone doubt one’s opinion on a wine is doubly humiliating. Possibly lack of education on their part, possibly the fact that the wines they are serving tend to be expensive so they don’t like to take them back. Either way, totally unacceptable. My view is that any server worth their salt at a high-end establishment should nose a bottle of wine properly before serving it to clients to make sure it is not tainted. That saves everyone from potentially awkward situations.

]]> By: winehiker http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-54 winehiker Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:04:35 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-54 I, too, had a similar experience at Bounty Hunter on a summer afternoon in 2005. I had sent back two bottles. I didn't think the wines were corked, but the taste of soap was sharply present. The waitperson, however, was responsive to my group's needs and the manager was sincerely concerned when I suggested he examine his glass-washing methodology. We actually ended up having a rather nice experience; we received new glasses, and the third bottle tasted just fine. I, too, had a similar experience at Bounty Hunter on a summer afternoon in 2005. I had sent back two bottles. I didn’t think the wines were corked, but the taste of soap was sharply present. The waitperson, however, was responsive to my group’s needs and the manager was sincerely concerned when I suggested he examine his glass-washing methodology. We actually ended up having a rather nice experience; we received new glasses, and the third bottle tasted just fine.

]]> By: Barrld http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-62 Barrld Thu, 03 May 2007 21:59:29 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-62 Couple of points; there is no doubt in my mind that Phillip's wines were corked, and that he's tasted 100 times more wines than the waiter. That's just rude and ignorant treatment of customers. Second, I think Bounty Hunter is a premium plus operations, few of its wines are really finds and the prices are well outside the spectrum of reasonable retail. It's certainly fine with me if people are so uneducated that they think Bounty Hunter is offering deals or rare gems but I personally find it all about hype and marketing. Third, on winehiker's experience, I always smell the glass before accepting a pour, just in case it's soapy or foul smelling. Yes I know it's goofy. Phillip you didn't tell us how this played out at the restaurant. Couple of points; there is no doubt in my mind that Phillip’s wines were corked, and that he’s tasted 100 times more wines than the waiter. That’s just rude and ignorant treatment of customers. Second, I think Bounty Hunter is a premium plus operations, few of its wines are really finds and the prices are well outside the spectrum of reasonable retail. It’s certainly fine with me if people are so uneducated that they think Bounty Hunter is offering deals or rare gems but I personally find it all about hype and marketing. Third, on winehiker’s experience, I always smell the glass before accepting a pour, just in case it’s soapy or foul smelling. Yes I know it’s goofy. Phillip you didn’t tell us how this played out at the restaurant.

]]> By: philip http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-65 philip Fri, 04 May 2007 15:41:46 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2007/04/25/one-in-one-hundred/#comment-65 Barrld - Welcome to the blog. Sadly, not that much happened. I complained about the first wine (it was a just a glass full - part of a flight). The staff didn't believe me, so I left it on the table and smelled it before I left to confirm that the TCA had grown more pronounced. The second wine was a bottle that I took home, by the time I opened it that night it was too late to complain. Thats partly why I wrote the post - I wanted to make it clear that this also happens to professionals in the industry. Barrld - Welcome to the blog. Sadly, not that much happened. I complained about the first wine (it was a just a glass full - part of a flight). The staff didn’t believe me, so I left it on the table and smelled it before I left to confirm that the TCA had grown more pronounced. The second wine was a bottle that I took home, by the time I opened it that night it was too late to complain.

Thats partly why I wrote the post - I wanted to make it clear that this also happens to professionals in the industry.

]]>