Jose wrote:
> >>I suspect that most people who "taste" wine are either really "drinking
> >> with food" (or drinking without food) and calling it tasting, or are
> >> simply choosing what to buy.
> >
> > But that's not 'tasting' as such.
>
> Exactly. And thus, much of what you rant about isn't really happening.
>
> In the first case, people are using the word "tasting" to mean "drinking
> with food". So your rant is misplaced there (and is probably more
> lexicographical anyway).

I go by what they write. If they say 'tasting', I always refer to the
professional tasters' method: sip, swill, spit.

> In the second case, well, that =is= tasting (whether they spit out or
> not), but it is done for the right reasons, and I suspect you aren't
> really ranting about =that= (professional or no).
>
> The third case is posting "tasting notes" here. This is of benefit to
> those who can't taste (to choose) the wines in question, and are in the
> wine store faced with row upon row of pretty labels. Picking based on
> somebody else's posted tasting notes is not ideal, but beats picking
> based on bottle size or label color. (although I admit I once picked a
> bottle based on the name of the wine being the same as a town near my
> home - that bottle was disappointing) (more correctly, the wine in the
> bottle was disappointing)
>
> And irrespective of that, sharing "tasting notes" is just another form
> of conversation about something we enjoy (drinking wine, with or without
> food).
>
> So, while you're right to knock the pretension, there's probably a lot
> less of it here than you think.

Perhaps. But I find most of the typical 'tasting notes' language
opaque, and I have a lot of experience with wine (30+ years). I find
little use for terms other than 'elegant' or 'well-structured' or
'raisiny' or 'fruity' or 'watery'. I don't know what 'forward' means,
for instance (though I have seen it for deacdes), or most of the
following typical post:

"...very high toned, tart berry fruit, cedar, VA palate: quite acidic,
medium-full body, tons of cedar, berries, finishes on acidity"

I know what volatile acidity means, but 'cedar'? 'High-toned'? WTF is
that? This where I begin to suspect a high level of BS.

I drink lots of wine, and have been trying lots of bottlings of Nero
d'Avola lately. They all taste quite different. No two seem to be even
remotely similar. Could I describe the differences? No. Could I
identify different bottlings blind? Of course, if kept to 4-5 bottles.

> Jose
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