| Wine: Style Versus Function | | | | By: Marc Hinton | << back  Page 2 of 2 |
I will attempt to define what I mean by function. A wine fulfils a function by completing the task of becoming the wine you picked for everyday table wine being consistently serviceable, tasty and within your budget. Another example might be wine we hope will be an entertainment device that dazzles with flavor and style while impressing those with an experienced palate.
Style has become more elusive to describe. To me, style has nothing to do with how much the vintner paid for the bottles or the label artwork and even less to do with the description on the back of the label. It is the package of aroma, flavor, and texture and how those components relate to the region the grapes came from and how the winemaker utilized their particular winemaking skills.
Even as I attempt to explain this conundrum, I stumble with finding clear thoughts that may explain what the hell I’m trying to say. Maybe I should drink some more wine?
I do know that customers, when shopping for wine, appreciate the question "Is there a specific function this wine choice will be fulfilling?" That’s the easy one if I follow that question with "Is there a specific style you prefer?" I have crossed into the "why did I ask that question zone". Personal experiences come into play, and wine knowledge goes out the window. This is the point where the real wine professional takes charge and tells you what style you should be drinking. Not me, I enjoy listening to people especially about wine so I walk into that zone with reckless abandon.
If you are making decisions about purchasing wine you have not tasted but on information you got from some publication like this, stop doing that. You have to taste the wine. We can point you in the right direction and point out some bargains within a specific taste, but in the end, you are the ultimate judge. If your friends don't like the wine you picked, let them bring their own next time. We just hope they came to Enobytes to make a good decision.
**If you wish to comment on this article, please feel free to visit Marc's blog and leave at comment at http://enobytes.org/blog/index.php?blog=2 or email him at marc@enobytes.org.
About the Author:
Committed to celebrating hospitality with pride, Marc is a freelance writer for the Oregonian Wine Bytes blog and editor-at-large for the online wine publication enobytes.com. He has over 20 years experience in the food & wine industry, and his controversial topics are sure to entertain and engage you as he meanders through a story. There's probably a good chance you've already sat on a barstool next to him and if you haven't chances are still pretty good you might. For his latest stories, visit http://www.enobytes.com/wine_blog/ and http://blog.oregonlive.com/wine/
Website URL: www.enobytes.org
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