Comments on: Who’s conning whom? http://vinofictions.com/2008/03/10/whose-conning-whom/ the blog that proves "in vino veritas" Fri, 18 May 2012 19:04:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Thomas http://vinofictions.com/2008/03/10/whose-conning-whom/#comment-383 Thomas Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:49:01 +0000 http://vinofictions.com/2008/03/10/whose-conning-whom/#comment-383 The operative word is "subjective." I don't have as much confidence in critics as you do. In fact, it matters nothing to me what someone else thinks of a wine. On the other hand, it matters greatly to me whether or not a wine is faulty. Knowing the label, or knowing almost anything about a wine, before you judge it is bound to allow faulty wines slip through the cracks, because knowing anything about the wine removes the possibility for objectivity, which psychologically sets us up to let things get by. More precisely, by knowing the label and the producer's track record, what makes the critic's promise of the wine's aging potential any less a con job than a blind taster making the same claim? Seems the blind taster takes a risk while the critic goes on past and present information. The whole problem with these discussions is in that operative word, "subjectively." There's a school of thinking that holds wine ratings are scientific and objective. I don't attend classes in that school... ;) The operative word is “subjective.”

I don’t have as much confidence in critics as you do. In fact, it matters nothing to me what someone else thinks of a wine. On the other hand, it matters greatly to me whether or not a wine is faulty.

Knowing the label, or knowing almost anything about a wine, before you judge it is bound to allow faulty wines slip through the cracks, because knowing anything about the wine removes the possibility for objectivity, which psychologically sets us up to let things get by.

More precisely, by knowing the label and the producer’s track record, what makes the critic’s promise of the wine’s aging potential any less a con job than a blind taster making the same claim? Seems the blind taster takes a risk while the critic goes on past and present information.

The whole problem with these discussions is in that operative word, “subjectively.” There’s a school of thinking that holds wine ratings are scientific and objective. I don’t attend classes in that school… ;)

]]> By: winophite http://vinofictions.com/2008/03/10/whose-conning-whom/#comment-382 winophite Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:55:59 +0000 http://vinofictions.com/2008/03/10/whose-conning-whom/#comment-382 I know this is kind of a delayed comment but it's been a busy week! As a novice, not professional, my thoughts on tastings are two fold. On one hand the pros, and the other, the casual drinker. In the beginning,(where I'm at and will be for a long time still) a single blind is best. Knowing the grape so as to learn and associate the specific tastes attributed to the varietal. Then later, a double blind, done for fun, to see if I'm actually getting a grip on identifying the grape. Those folks who do this professionally probably need to know the info on the label since they are making recomendations to us novices on what they "subjectively" call good or great and what one can expect. If however several professionals want some fun or to try to one-up each other they should do doubles, with an odd ball or two thrown in to see who gets stumped! I know wine is BIG business, but if ypou ask me the real purpose is for pleasure of the imbiber. WP I know this is kind of a delayed comment but it’s been a busy week! As a novice, not professional, my thoughts on tastings are two fold. On one hand the pros, and the other, the casual drinker.
In the beginning,(where I’m at and will be for a long time still) a single blind is best. Knowing the grape so as to learn and associate the specific tastes attributed to the varietal. Then later, a double blind, done for fun, to see if I’m actually getting a grip on identifying the grape.
Those folks who do this professionally probably need to know the info on the label since they are making recomendations to us novices on what they “subjectively” call good or great and what one can expect. If however several professionals want some fun or to try to one-up each other they should do doubles, with an odd ball or two thrown in to see who gets stumped!
I know wine is BIG business, but if ypou ask me the real purpose is for pleasure of the imbiber. WP

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