| Wine: Style Versus Function | | | | By: Marc Hinton |  Page 1 of 2 next >> |
It has come to my attention how much wine styles have affected wine tasting by professionals and how little we (wine tasting reviewers) realize that consumers need just the facts.
It became evident during a conversation I had recently with a fellow wine tasting colleague. They were second-guessing their own qualifications while reviewing a wine of extremely high caliber that had been produced in a style that this particular producer had not embraced in the past.
The idea for this episode of "I Don’t Buy That" presented itself when we were comparing notes on some wines we both had recently reviewed. There were two new wines from the same producer with a considerable price difference. I had given a better score on a wine that was half the price from a high profile producer that had recently released a new line of wines, who I am sure, would have liked and probably expected me to rate the more expensive above the better tasting and newer styled wine that was half the price.
Reviewers are not above being swayed by marketing techniques when those techniques are actually in the bottle and not on paper. Sometimes, as in the case of the two wines we are talking about, this practice might backfire. For my tastes old school classic does not automatically trump other styles of wine. I see this trend (designating this style is the only style for this varietal) permeating the industry on many different levels.
I even find myself berating wines from time to time, because the producers are not making their wine to fit into little categories that make the reviewing of those wines an easy job. Honestly now; why would the producers take into account how reviewers will taste the wine and decide to either go old school (Classic French Standards) or rate the wine on what actually passes as a serviceable wine that will impress for entertaining and culinary application.
Their job (the producers) is to bottle the highest quality for the least amount of overhead; that’s the honest truth and the bottom line all in one statement. Let us all not forget the importance of that fact nor loose respect for those who are proficient at that task.
The marketing of wines that have been benchmarked to the standard of a particular varietal and pigeonholed as a distinct flavor associated with a grape will always be a fight that up and coming vintners will have to overcome as they bring their products to market. As sure as soil in different locations will always yield different results with the same varietal. Certainly, those varietals will not always deliver the same flavor from every regional viticulture area.
From a reviewers standpoint I see the opportunity to seize upon an up and coming wine that represents a region in a way that is unique and write about as though it sets a new standard. On the other side, I see a duty to remain educated and unbiased while exclaiming any specific knowledge on the subject while attempting to stay on-point.
From a consumers viewpoint I certainly see how that reaction could lead to an ambiguous confidence level and consider the information somehow, less than reliable advice.
The scope of this subject still revolves around Style vs. Function; appreciating wine is both and will always be about both. Which will have the most impact on your wine buying decisions? Style should be a component of the whole package, but lately seems to be the basis, by which many reviewers conclude the stature and overall rating of a wine (Please, someone out there disagree with me about this).
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