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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 wh
by 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 agoOk 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 agoThere'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.