most seem to think each bottle is individually styled for that person. in fact, almost all wine(even a lot of "barrel select") are dumped into a large container, mixed, and the bottles filled. a 20,000 case wine is few thousand gallons. they did not hand make your bottle and kiss it goodnight.

The fact is, probably half the consumers wouldn't know a mild-to-moderately corked wine in any case. Because, for starters, they probably don't know what the wine SHOULD taste like, and also because the defect may simply manifest as a dull bottle with no nose to speak of, rather than a really stinky TCA aroma.

I am a certified wine judge - not that this means much here . . . this post nails it!

^^^

Some folks I socialize with think that when it comes to judging wine, I am certifiable.

Most? of whom? 20,000 case wines? Wow I rarely drink wine of which more than a few hundred cases is made. This is the supermarket wine shopper of whom you speak? I love to delve into the myriad vineyards in Sonoma and Napa for example and find wines which excite me and which I need to go to in order to buy.

I am not sure that is a fact at all. Or perhaps not in the Bay Area where I grew up or in Tokyo where I live now. But I do agree a large number of people would not get it. TCA sensitivity varies so widely even for trained professionals that it is a highly subjective issue. The presence of the compound is not subjective but individual tolerances for it and responses to it are.

As stated, a systematic approach will largely negate the variation on individual palates as it seeks to judge a wine not so much on "is it good because I like it?" but more on is it good because it achieves a certain number of factors which wine professionals agree make a better wine. In the new world, specifically the US, and in the old world, often in the southern Rhone we see a lot of fruit bombs yes, but far less so in the rest of the world.


Great post! In my case I substitute "consuming" for judging.

Wow I rarely drink wine of which more than a few hundred cases is made. This is the supermarket wine shopper of whom you speak?

The grand vin Chateau Latour, typically a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, with the remainder Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, normally has an annual production of 18,000 cases.

mouton;annual Production: (first label) 200,000 to 300,000 bottles,

romanee conti is pretty limited in production, and they pump out 6000 bottles.

welcome to french supermarket wine


if you are buying wines produced at the 200 case level(1000 bottles), there is not enough to go around for many of us to taste it.

Oops. Outed. I do in fact avoid most red bordeaux as I find the blends to be not my first choice when young and even aged are not what I reach for first. I will drink right bank before left bank but that too is probably not on my first choice list.

Burgundy of 6000 bottles is 500 cases and not an exorbitant amount. Access to better French wine is possible but in the US or Japan often bears a price which is far in excess of what one might buy it for in the country of origin or even in Europe in general.

French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese German, Austrian, etc. supermarkets showing local product are not only far better priced than what I can buy for at brick and mortar shops in Tokyo or San Francisco, but they also offer a significantly better selection.

Distribution systems in the US and in various countries in Europe are entirely different, and French supermarket wine is not at all what I referred to above. I thought that was clear, but am happy to clarify for you here. American supermarket selections, while having the odd outlier, generally are comprised of lower end versions of better wines or just lower end wines. People get insulted by that but if we can say their palates are untrained enough to detect TCA, it certainly seems reasonable to discuss trends in price point preferences.

Drinking wine from smaller Sonoma producers does indeed mean I am partaking of scarcity. I suspect the market will respond to increased demand with either more supply or higher prices or both. For the moment though there are ample choices there and online shopping from the wineries or specialist online retailers makes it very accessible. Give it a shot, it is much easier than your presume it to be.

Which website do you use to buy other people's collection of vintage wines?

Good question. A few choices are:

In the US, I have used Vinfolio (vinfolio.com) in past, but recently have started using Hart Davis Hart (hdhwine.com).

In the UK I like the new site GrapePip (grapepip.com), but have used Justernini & Brooks (justerninis.com) with success before.

I'd suggest www.wine-searcher.com

It won't get you other collections, but it will find specific wines that are being offered on consignment through brokerages. Including mine, which are being offered through OWCwines.com who is my broker.

You can also buy wines at auction through such auction houses as Sotheby's, or Bonham and Butterfields. The wine-searcher site will allow you to buy specific wines that are being offered for private sale, while the auction house will allow you to buy assorted lots and collections in whatever groupings the auction houses chooses to group them together.

Very good call. The site is definitely the mother of all consolidated wine price and availability information.

Excellent post.... ^ ^

I could have written this exact same post myself....

I agree that wine tasting is junk science. I'll also add that expensive wine is overrated. Wine pairing is even worse. You don't need to pair wine with food if your meal is good enough (spiced properly).

A couple of years ago, I turned a friend on to Sojourn Wine. He bought 2 bottles of an '08 $48 bottle pinot noir on my say-so. He called me over the weekend to brag about his wine, and how it's improved in the 2 years that he's owned it. I love his words >>> He said that 2 years ago, this bottle was an acquaintance, but today, it was more like an old friend. @:-)

Gotta love it.

dh

yeah! yEh! yyeeH! nothing like aste spumonti with steak Florentine, or skate wings with barolo..............or brunello.