Wine Tasting

Among the many things that confuse me are pizza menus (too many choices) and wine lists (arcane literature). Last week I decided instead of buying one bottle of wine I would buy two so I could compare and learn what was good. Anyway, many wine drinkers have favorite brands of wine; wine connoisseurs have real expensive favorite wines. Yet, an article today (WSJ, "A hint of hype, A taste of illusion") casts doubt on the idea that wine tastes can be objectively discerned -- some wines brag of having 8 different flavors. In fact, it is very difficult for even experts to evaluate wine tastes or accurately discern flavors.

The wine industry has its own rating system for the taste of wines. In addition, high stakes taste testing contests are held frequently with some wineries spending over $1 million dollars trying to win or "medal" in at least one of these. The problem is that there is a lot of evidence that wine testing suffers from poor reliability; for example, a medal winning wine is as likely to be a bad loser in another contest, even one with the same expert taste testers! Empirical tests where the taste tester does not know the actual wine brand confirm their is little objective basis for wine tastes.

A few decades ago, Pepsi took on Coca Cola by sponsoring a number of taste tests that showed consumers preferred Pepsi over Coke. Well, in the 1980s Coca Cola got spooked and started believing the taste tests and decided to change their formula in order to compete with Pepsi, coming up with New Coke. Well, its loyal drinkers reacted swiftly -- it was unAmerican to do that. It didn't take long for Coca Cola executives to reverse course and bring back the old drink (Coke Classic).

You see it was not about the taste; Coke learned quickly they were selling an experience. Taste is a subjective thing. The consumer brings all kinds or perceptions and attitudes to the tasting. Changing the formula was changing the experience -- the consumers determine the taste.

So back to wine . . . since my wife and I are amateur wine drinkers and I struggle deciding among the MANY choices on the shelf, I simply have to convince myself that that $5.99 bottle of Beringer Merlot or White Zinfidel is simply exquisite. And I would be right . . . as long a my wife agrees, that is.