Tasting Wine Blind

posted by natalya in Wine

Though there’s been a bit of debate recently about the virtues and drawbacks of blind tasting, one thing is rather certain: it’s unlikely the average consumer will ever do it. He will likely have purchased the bottle himself or received it as a gift. In either case the label will have served as the ‘face’ of the wine– its first impression. Nevertheless, in spite of the prominence of the label, most consumers will, in actuality, blind taste, at least in terms of acumen about the bottle’s contents- varietals (I, personally, know a number of people who think chardonnay and cabernet are brands), producers, vintages, and geographic origins.

Eric Asimov wrote about this very subject last week.

“Fairly or unfairly, wine experts are expected to be able to judge a wine simply by tasting what’s in the glass in the course of tasting many other wines. Personally, I feel it’s a little like judging a book by reading one chapter or one page, but you can’t do away with mass tastings altogether.

Speaking of books, why are book critics permitted to know who wrote what they are reading? Why are film critics expected to know all about the director and to use that knowledge when they judge a film? Don’t we think their objectivity will be compromised in the same way? Or is it that wine writers are not accorded the same level of respect, since the public assumes their perceptions will be compromised if they know what they are tasting?”

I hadn’t thought of the blind tasting business this way before. It got me thinking, how important is context?

Wikipedia, comes out on the other side of the debate. In its “Wine Tasting” entry it is argued that “To ensure impartial judgment of a wine, it should be served blind — that is, without the taster(s) having seen the label or bottle shape… A taster’s judgment can be prejudiced by knowing details of a wine, such as geographic origin, price, reputation, color, or other considerations.”

Bottom line: in order to judge a wine, must we know more or less about it?

Seems there are two answers. The more one knows about wine in general, the less she should know about it BEFORE she tastes it. She will meet the wine fresh, a first date. After the tasting notes are written, the myriad details of what was tasted must be revealed and integrated into the complete tasting notes. If, however, one’s a novice (and I use the term loosely here, since most of us are novices) it is helpful if she’s informed about the wine prior to tasting it. She may, for instance appreciate the fact that what she’s sipping is a pinot noir, lighter in color and tannins than her cabernet because the pinot grape is thin skinned, unlike the cabernet which has thick skin and produces a darker, more tannic wine. Or she might connect to the wine’s geographic origin in Maremma, Beaujolais or Margaret River. In her case this information adds to the richness of a multi-layered wine experience, offering up a taste of terroir and varietal.

A Snooth by Any Other Name…

posted by natalya in Wine

We, Snoothers, are frequently asked about the meaning of the word ‘Snooth.’ Philip offers several amusing explanations that have become part of the company script. And we’re open to suggestions for new definitions of the word - it keeps things dynamic. Yesterday an old friend asked what Snooth meant and it got me thinking about the power of naming, especially given the success of critter wines (Yellow Tail, Barefoot, Little Penguin), which are simple, easy to remember and cute.

If the wines mentioned above are cute, here’s one that - at least to my mind - isn’t. Bitch wine is a Barossa Valley Grenache (a critter of a different kind from Australia). It first caught my eye earlier this year when I was at a tasting at McCabe’s on the Upper East Side. Bitch was displayed prominently in the center aisle. I blinked twice, but it was no mirage. Clearly some of you have seen (and drank) it too. Personally, I have never tried it, but the reviews I’ve come across say that it’s a straightforward fruity Grenache. I can see its comic value - sort of like those Naughty Girl soaps - as a shower or other type of joke gift. Not sure I’d serve it at our annual Thanksgiving dinner though. Curious what you think about Bitch and other critter wines. Good for the industry? Making wine more accessible? I’d love to hear from you.

Got Blaufrankisch?

posted by natalya in Wine

A while back The New York Times Wine Critic Eric Asimov wrote about blaufrankisch, an Austrian/German grape varietal that produces an earthy red wine that I personally love. Asimov noted that the wine may not have gained the popularity it deserves in the US because people are unable to pronounce its name. “Think of how many potentially pleasurable experiences await if we can get past the strangeness of names and taste the wines,” Asimov noted.

I agree. My first blau experience was at New York City’s Ocean Grill where I tried Long Island winery Channing Daughters‘ version. I chose it because my family and I wanted something reasonably priced (it was then $38 or so) and because I’d never heard of this varietal and couldn’t pronounce it (I’m the adventurous type). Bottom line - I was curious and it was cheap.

The wine was surprisingly delicious (to Ocean Grill’s credit, the server explained it beautifully and encouraged us to try it) and food-friendly. My parents liked the fruit, I liked the rusticity. We all appreciated the price. Blaufrankisch had gained some needed American fans.

I mention this now, because fall is almost here and Blau is the perfect fall wine. Asimov noted in his blog that he had tried it at the West Village Southeast Asian restaurant Fatty Crab and it worked well with a spicy meat/seafood dish. It was also well-suited to the fish dishes my family and I had at Ocean Grill.

If you can’t find the Channing Daughters Blau (it’s a small production wine that is virtually always sold out), try the Austrian Paul Achs Blau (I believe it’s organic too!). And please remember to add your ratings to Snooth- we want to know what you’re drinking…