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So much around wine is bullshit. I lived in Bordeaux for a year and was involved in wine tourism indirectly. It's all about emotion, the placebo effect and soci
by mmaunder 10y ago
So much around wine is bullshit. I lived in Bordeaux for a year and was involved in wine tourism indirectly. It's all about emotion, the placebo effect and social proof. Good article. I lol'd at the "notes of undergrowth" in one section. Wonder what undergrowth tastes like and how she knows. (FT wine reviewer)
- tamana 10y agoMaybe "undergrowth" is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin
- barrkel 10y agoUsually undergrowth means mushroomy, savoury, usually characteristic of pinot noir especially from Burgundy. I've been told it's increased by including stems in fermentation. It is a thing and it can be tasted; I'm not sure undergrowth is the best word for it, but it's a translation on a French word approximately meaning forest floor: the mulch of rotting leaves etc. It's more about smell as a component of taste than actual experience of eating rotting leaves. There are undoubtedly different flavours in differently made wines. Spend time tasting and it's evident that grape, region, style and age all have big effects. But pairing, sequencing and intoxication also affect how wine is perceived, apart from the psychological effect of price / label, and ultimately it's subjective. Some people like alcoholic grape juice. Others like loads of tannins because it's what they associated with wines they were told were "big". Fashions change too. Drink around and buy more of what you like, is my rule.
- nstj 10y agoEver described something as "tasting like s%#t"?