Let Your Own Palate Be Your Primary Guide When Selecting Wine

Last time we looked at wine scores and how well they can be relied upon as an indicator when selecting wines. Some wine scores are from reputable sources (e.g., Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate) while others are less dependable. And, when it comes right down to it, a wine may receive a high score from a reputable source but not be something you care for.

And, the fact that you don’t care for a highly rated wine doesn’t make the rating “wrong.” It just shows that professional wine tasters have a different palate from yours.

So, let your palate be the primary guide when selecting a wine. If you are a big fan of particular varietal of wine or wine region, stick with them. But, if you are looking to select a wine from your favorite varietal or region, and you see one with a good wine score, give it a try. You’ll usually be pleased.

Next time we’ll take a look at wine prices and how well they correlate with quality. Until then, Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Are the Wine Point Systems Really a Good Indicator?

You’ve seen them. The wine scores posted alongside the bottles on the shelf. 90 points. 88 points. 92 points. But what does it really mean? Is it a good indicator for making your wine selection?

Well, the old adage “Buyer Beware” certainly applies when it comes to wine scores.

One reason is that there are some reputable wine rating systems (e.g., Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate) and then there are wine ratings from “The Crew” at the local market or “Bob’s Favorite” at the Big Box wine store.

Let’s look at Wine Spectator scoring system that follows a 100-point scale:

• 95-100 Classic: a great wine

• 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style

• 85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities

• 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine

• 75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws

• 50-74 Not recommended

This seems like a nice broad spectrum from which to differentiate wines. But, you probably aren’t going to come across a whole lot of 95-100 point wines in a typical store. And, you’re unlikely to find anything rated 84 points or below anywhere. Because those scores just don’t sell wine. So, you’re going to see some wines scored in the 85 - 89 “Very Good” range and most rated wines will be in the 90-94 “Outstanding” category. But you’ll also be faced with all those other wines on the shelf that don’t have any ratings! What about them?

Even with a 91 point score from Wine Spectator, you’ll have to ask yourself if your wine palette is similar enough to these professionals? Yours is likely different. So, you may try a 91 point Cabernet Sauvignon and say “No, I don’t care for that at all.” And that’s OK.

Another thing to beware of is the actual bottle on the shelf versus the one that received the rating. I see this all the time. The sign says “Wine Spectator 90 Points.” But, then you read the fine print and learn that it’s the 2013 that received that score. And, the bottle on the shelf is a 2015. The 2015 may be drastically different.

So, buyer beware. The wine scores from reputable organizations certainly are an indication of the quality of the wine. But, don’t let that be the only factor you use when choosing wine. Let your own palette guide you. And we’ll get into that a bit more next time.

Cheers!

Does Weight Equal Quality in a Wine Bottle?

You may have experienced it when shopping for a bottle of wine. You lift the bottle to look more closely at the label and you notice how heavy it is relative to other bottles of wine. And immediately you equate this substantial bottle with high quality. But, is it really?

There is no doubt that weight influences quality. And, a high quality product deserves high-quality packaging. Heavy just seems to feel good. Right!

Well, according to wine servers in restaurants, a heavy bottle is a pain to carry, open and pour.

Also, these heavier bottles tend to be slightly larger than a standard bottle, so they often don’t always fit in a standard wine rack.

And don’t forget that a heavier bottle means a case of that wine is going to be significantly heavier. And that adds to the shipping cost.

So, shouldn’t we really be paying more attention to the quality of wine inside the bottle than the bottle itself? In most cases, the bottle weight really doesn’t mean anything. The one exception is for sparkling wine. A thicker bottle is necessary to handle the high pressure inside the bottle. Otherwise, a heavy bottle is just a packaging option that the winemaker is using.

Then, there’s that ‘dimple’ in the bottle of wine. What’s up with that? Well, we’ll get into that next time. But for now, Cheers!

How to Pick the Right Sweetness of a Champagne or Sparkling Wine

The wine world is confusing enough. Then, you find yourself standing on the wine aisle trying to figure out what the different styles of Champagne and sparkling wine mean. And, it’s not straight forward.

Champagne and most sparkling wines will have words on their labels to indicate their sweetness level.

So, here’s your quick guide for choosing the one that best fits your palate:

Brut Nature - This style is bone dry. It has little or no sugar content (0–3 g/L sugar).

Extra Brut This style is also bone dry but, it can have up to twice the sugar level of Brut Nature (0–6 g/L sugar). But, this little bit of sweetness creates a wonderful balance with Champagne’s naturally high acidity.

Brut This is the most common style. While considered “Dry” this style can have twice the sugar of Extra Brut (0–12 g/L sugar).

Extra Dry This is the one that always confuses people. This style is sweeter which actually makes it also taste a bit Fruity (12–17 g/L sugar).

Dry The confusing continues. This style is getting up there in sweetness (17–32 g/L sugar).

Demi-Sec Now you’re talking Sweet (32–50 g/L sugar). This style works well with desserts or cheeses.

Doux This one, while very rare to find, is SWEET (50+ g/L sugar).

Wine - It's Really Very Simple

I recently read a piece in Wine Spectator (March 31, 2018) by Matt Kramer. It was titled "It's Really Very Simple." He started off by stating "The temptation for all wine evangelists...is to somehow make wine simple." He then goes on to say "Although the reality is that wine, fine wine anyway, is anything but simple, the temptation to simplify is irresistible."

And, yes, I started EverWonderWine.com and my weekly blogs in order to make wine more understandable and simple. So, I guess I too have fallen into the temptation.  But, I really think there is good reason to try to simplify wine, although I admit it's sometimes difficult.

As I started out writing blogs for my EverWonderWine.com website, one of the requests I got was "Just tell me what wine I should buy."  I have regularly struggled with this request.  It's a simple one. Yet, I have always found it to be a difficult one to address.

The problem with this simple request is that everyone's palate for wine is different. There have been plenty of times that I've said "Oh, wow!  This wine is really nice!" and had someone else try it, make an ugly face and shake their head and exclaim "No!  I don't like that at all."  

So, what I have continually tried to explain (in simple terms!) is that wine appreciation is a journey. You shouldn't expect to start with exceptional quality wines and immediately like them. But, if you truly want to try to understand and appreciate wine, you have to start somewhere; anywhere.  And, because our brains are wired to like sweeter things, it's often sweeter wines or bubbly that people with start with. Or, a very fruity rosé wine that maybe isn't that sweet but has lots of bright fruit flavors.  But, you have to jump in somewhere. And, give it time.

It's so simple! Right?  Well, at least I'll keep trying. Cheers!