Wine reviews and the definition of ‘expert’

Every industry has different categories of connaisseur. Loosely grouped into general consumers, hobbyists, and experts, each are vital for the other to thrive – when you ignore the consumers and hobbyists, companies can have a hard time subsisting. However, if one neglects to care for and love the experts (both self proclaimed and accredited), value gets diluted, products are cheapened, and the experts carefully step back and bandy together to support those who do appreciate them.

The language around wine is fascinating. I’d hardly consider myself an expert on the subject and you may have noticed my reviews are short, simple and to the point. Occasionally I might throw around words like ‘oak-y’ or ‘tannins’…but this is balanced by more accessible phrases such as ‘yummy delicious’ and ‘tasty’.

My approach may make a true expert cringe. But then, the backlash against their specialized knowledge has been equally as strong…so I suppose I can’t really blame them.

In the end, I aspire to write and review with a similar methodology as Vinography’s Alder Yarrow. In  a post yesterday on wine evaluation, he writes:

“I’m of the opinion that merely telling you the ingredients of a dish (or the organoleptic qualities of wine) is not criticism at all, or if it is a kind of criticism, it is certainly not useful. I’ve had lots of Merlot that tastes like plum, cherry, and chocolate, but some of it is total crap, while others transport me to fantastic, sensual places. “

Wine is subjective, just as some sports are subjective. If they weren’t, every “professional” expert would come to the same conclusions, have the same vote, offer the exact same score whether for a . But there are just too many aspects that need to be taken into account…not to mention the array of external factors and circumstances that can have an impact on the overall impression.

Anthony Gismondi describes a similiar sentiment in his article for the Vancouver Sun:

“The challenge of writing this column for an audience that drinks wine for undoubtedly as many reasons as winemakers have tools to make wine, often makes my head spin too. The trick is to get some useful information out to consumers without “dumbing down” the subject of wine.”

Well said. If you’re targeting a diverse range of people who are each looking for the ‘answer’ for different reasons, you have to proceed with thoughtful care and a balanced editorial approach. While impossible to please everyone, you will be the favorite for friends and associates who maybe would like to ask a question but feel intimidated by other, more pretentious wine connaisseurs. And really…isn’t being a true expert a balance of being able to ‘talk the talk’ as well as being able to interact someone who knows little about the subject and leave them with a little bit of education and maybe…some inspiration thrown in there too.