When a Wine Expert’s Opinion is Called Into Question
At a recent tasting event I hosted, the subject arose of wine ratings, wine reviews and wine descriptions. One of the guests was unsure whether to rely on the ratings and comments of so-called wine experts. This is a subject that I’ve been ruminating over for a number of months myself.
Is evaluating wine a by-the-numbers objective exercise or is it an opinionated sensory process? Can someone truly be a wine expert when judging the effect of wine characteristics on another’s palate?
Our palates are an amalgam of the five elements of taste on our tongue and in our mouth, and the 10,000 elements of smell wafting through our olfactory senses. Is it possible for any one person to describe a wine in terms that can be applied universally to an individual wine and which can be perceived by each and every consumer who sips that wine? Or is this perceived talent simply blown out of proportion, similar to those insufferable consumer polls, surveys and focus groups we are exposed to daily?
And the ultimate question: Does any one opinion really matter when it comes to evaluating a particular wine?
A strong case can be made for an individual who possesses a predisposed ability to discern various aromas and tastes; one who can discern subtle elements in the unique characteristics of a particular wine. We see it in professionals in other industries, most notably perfumers. This expertise typically requires years of tasting wines, developing and accumulating a dictionary of descriptive terms and a frame of reference for the numerous styles and profiles of grape varietals.
An equally strong case can be made that, since wine evaluations are extremely subjective, it is difficult for an individual to consistently apply his or her sensory abilities to the task at hand. A number of independent firms have conducted tests to determine the ability of wine evaluators, critics and reviewers to ply their trade consistently over time. They have yielded very interesting results.
In one “blind tasting” (in which wine bottles were wrapped in brown paper bags), wine experts were presented the same wine to rate three times in succession. An easy task for an expert to shine, one would assume. Not so. Scores of each expert varied for each of the three tastings sampled. So much for the reliability of an expert’s palate.
In another tasting, a rather ordinary Bordeaux wine was presented to wine experts in two different bottles. One bottle bore the label of a high-end wine, the other of a low-end wine. The experts’ descriptions of each bottle were polarized. The bottle with the high-end label was “complex” and “balanced,” while the bottle with the low-end label was “light’ and “faulty.” Ah, the power of perception over reality.
In another blind tasting a number of years ago, 54 wine judges were presented with two glasses of wine side by side, a white and a red. Each proceeded to describe the wines with adjectives typically assigned to white wine and to red wine. The twist: each wine was from the same bottle of white wine; one of the glasses had been dyed red with food coloring. None of the judges figured out the ruse.
To complicate experts’ descriptions, terms used to describe a wine’s characteristics and subtleties are a consternation to many consumers. In a number of polls, consumers readily admitted confusion over the meanings of terms tossed about by producers and wine experts. In a recent survey, “firm skeleton,” “old bones” and “wet stone” were at the top of the list. Terms found most helpful? “Fresh” and “zesty.” Further, fully two-thirds of polled consumers stated that they were unable to discern the aromas and flavors described on bottle labels or in experts’ comments.
As in so many other aspects of life, the best advice for wine consumers is to rely on your own intuition and sensory faculties. Experts can provide a general reference point, but don’t rely on their ratings and comments as de facto wisdom.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member of the Wine Media Guild of wine writers. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
