3 ms·

Except it is important, since each of those regions has very strict laws regarding what is and isn’t allowed in the bottle. Sancerre is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, re

Except it is important, since each of those regions has very strict laws regarding what is and isn’t allowed in the bottle. Sancerre is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, red Bordeaux some blend of six permitted grapes, Cab and Merlot being the primary ones (subregions have laws regarding which subset is allowed), Chablis is 100% Chardonnay, Beaujolais is 100% Gamay, Chianti is at least 70% Sangiovese. Wines from these regions aren’t labeled varietally because they don’t need to be. New World wines don’t have that luxury.

donavanm 5y ago
I agree with the thrust of your argument but do note that rouge sancerre is definitely a thing (and I quite like it).
- sanedigital 5y ago
  Sure, and Sancerre Rouge likewise has varietal requirements.
josefrichter 5y ago
That is not the point. The point is that the grape variety is just one piece of the puzzle. Ordering wine by variety is therefore basically nonsense. It’s very common that waiter tells you we have Pinot Noir or Merlot, but without telling you at least from where they are, that information is pretty much worthless. And I’m almost sure most people can’t tell the difference anyway. I’m a lifelong wine lover, even with some education in wine tasting, and the more I know about wine, the less I’m sure I’d be able to tell them apart in blind tasting. It’s more like I roughly know what style of wine I can expect from different countries, and which varieties have good conditions in those countries and which are better avoided.
- sanedigital 5y ago
  I’m a Certified Sommelier and I’m going to have to say agree to disagree. Yes, region is important. But varietal is by far the critical piece when predicting what a wine is going to taste like. Do some Merlots taste more like Cabs? Sure. Is an experienced wine drinker going to mistake Pinot Noir for Sauvignon Blanc, even if they’re both from Sancerre? No way.
  - josefrichter 5y ago
    Ok fair points. I think our idea of “experienced wine drinker” might be quite far apart. My guess is that maybe 5% of regular wine drinkers can identify variety from a random sample. I’m definitely not one of them and comfortable admitting that.
    - sanedigital 5y ago
      There's a difference though between identifying variety from a random sample and knowing what you like. While non-experts often have trouble describing their preferences, they don't have trouble identifying them. A wine drinker with a few years of experience may not be able to tell you why they like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, and dislike Pinot Noir. But if you pour them a St. Laurent you shouldn't be surprised when they don't like it.

donavanm 5y ago

I agree with the thrust of your argument but do note that rouge sancerre is definitely a thing (and I quite like it).

sanedigital 5y ago
Sure, and Sancerre Rouge likewise has varietal requirements.

josefrichter 5y ago

That is not the point. The point is that the grape variety is just one piece of the puzzle. Ordering wine by variety is therefore basically nonsense. It’s very common that waiter tells you we have Pinot Noir or Merlot, but without telling you at least from where they are, that information is pretty much worthless. And I’m almost sure most people can’t tell the difference anyway. I’m a lifelong wine lover, even with some education in wine tasting, and the more I know about wine, the less I’m sure I’d be able to tell them apart in blind tasting. It’s more like I roughly know what style of wine I can expect from different countries, and which varieties have good conditions in those countries and which are better avoided.

sanedigital 5y ago
I’m a Certified Sommelier and I’m going to have to say agree to disagree. Yes, region is important. But varietal is by far the critical piece when predicting what a wine is going to taste like. Do some Merlots taste more like Cabs? Sure. Is an experienced wine drinker going to mistake Pinot Noir for Sauvignon Blanc, even if they’re both from Sancerre? No way.
- josefrichter 5y ago
  Ok fair points. I think our idea of “experienced wine drinker” might be quite far apart. My guess is that maybe 5% of regular wine drinkers can identify variety from a random sample. I’m definitely not one of them and comfortable admitting that.
  - sanedigital 5y ago
    There's a difference though between identifying variety from a random sample and knowing what you like. While non-experts often have trouble describing their preferences, they don't have trouble identifying them. A wine drinker with a few years of experience may not be able to tell you why they like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, and dislike Pinot Noir. But if you pour them a St. Laurent you shouldn't be surprised when they don't like it.