Comments on: I went down to the crossroads… http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/ Find Better Wines Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:38:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: oceank8 http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5068 oceank8 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5068 Price is definitely the biggest influence on me. I usually have an idea of what I want to spend before I even start. And let me say that too cheap is as much of a turn off as too expensive (unless I already know the wine). The second biggest influence on me is what's being "showcased" or put on special display. Once in my comfortable price range, I look at varietal and any wine maker notes. I have felt a shift in my own purchasing and feel it has become much more informed as I learn what I like from each region. Price is definitely the biggest influence on me. I usually have an idea of what I want to spend before I even start. And let me say that too cheap is as much of a turn off as too expensive (unless I already know the wine). The second biggest influence on me is what’s being “showcased” or put on special display. Once in my comfortable price range, I look at varietal and any wine maker notes. I have felt a shift in my own purchasing and feel it has become much more informed as I learn what I like from each region.

]]> By: philip http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5066 philip Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:00:04 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5066 I enjoy learning a lot of the pop-psychology around what affects purchase decisions. I feel the agony of choice is a key one: the fact that with limitless choice its impossible to find the perfect product, so many people settle for none at all. At this point, you need to seek sufficient satisfaction, rather than maximizing it. Its certainly true, that expensive wines just taste better. I dont remember the exact source that I first found this, but am sure it was a recent business week article. Its very interesting to see the dimensions that users use to make decisions when overwhelmed by choice. Price, for all its flaws, is a quick and efficient, if inaccurate, way to do so. The only other 'hard' metrics, would be alcohol level, or vintage, but quality isnt as correlated with either. I enjoy learning a lot of the pop-psychology around what affects purchase decisions. I feel the agony of choice is a key one: the fact that with limitless choice its impossible to find the perfect product, so many people settle for none at all. At this point, you need to seek sufficient satisfaction, rather than maximizing it.

Its certainly true, that expensive wines just taste better. I dont remember the exact source that I first found this, but am sure it was a recent business week article.

Its very interesting to see the dimensions that users use to make decisions when overwhelmed by choice. Price, for all its flaws, is a quick and efficient, if inaccurate, way to do so. The only other ‘hard’ metrics, would be alcohol level, or vintage, but quality isnt as correlated with either.

]]> By: mark http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5070 mark Thu, 01 May 2008 14:30:30 +0000 http://blog.snooth.com/2008/04/30/i-went-down-to-the-crossroads/#comment-5070 Good post, Robert. This is part of the reason we chose not to make the Quality Price Ratio sorting function the default for search results on Snooth and stuck with Snoothrank. We had some discussions early in the Snooth building process where we discussed whether we should rate wines based on price and quality, or simply quality. (Rating wines based on price alone would be a lifeless exercise.) We decided it was of course going to be different depending on the user. For some, Charles Shaw is a 4.5/5 wine in no small part because it is priced lower than a carton of milk. Quality is key -- you should drink the best wines you are able to drink. And if your wallet restricts you, we provide the tools for getting at those wines which maximize quality and minimize cost. Good post, Robert. This is part of the reason we chose not to make the Quality Price Ratio sorting function the default for search results on Snooth and stuck with Snoothrank. We had some discussions early in the Snooth building process where we discussed whether we should rate wines based on price and quality, or simply quality. (Rating wines based on price alone would be a lifeless exercise.) We decided it was of course going to be different depending on the user. For some, Charles Shaw is a 4.5/5 wine in no small part because it is priced lower than a carton of milk.

Quality is key — you should drink the best wines you are able to drink. And if your wallet restricts you, we provide the tools for getting at those wines which maximize quality and minimize cost.

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