Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 8:40:19 CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Wine Reviews: Taste the Pretension

Posted Jun 13, 08 11:46 CDT in Opinion,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – When wine lovers say they taste notes of cherries or hints of tobacco, “usually all I can detect is a whole lot of jackass,” Joel Stein writes in the LA Times . Wine dialogue has devolved into a meaningless string of obscure scents, Stein says. It’s boring—too boring even to make fun of—and it says virtually nothing about the wine.

Why not talk about what the wine is actually like? Reviewers should be explaining whether a wine is loud and rough, smooth and friendly, or boozy and deep. “The reason there's a problem is that there's a lot of people who suck at communicating,” says one wine reviewer. “It’s a lack of self-esteem and pretension. Nobody has guts.”

Source Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • New Wine Season Begins; Merchants See Slower Sales

    Nov 20, 08 7:56 PM CST
    New Wine Season Begins; Merchants See Slower Sales Today is the third Thursday of November, which makes it a holiday of sorts for wine merchants: Beaujolais Day. It's the first day of the year (as dictated by French law) that the first wine of the season—Beaujolais Nouveau, made from Gamay grapes—can be sold worldwide. Wine purists generally dismiss the stuff, but wise marketing has boosted sales. This year, however, doesn't look to be a strong one, reports the Wall Street Journal.
    More »

  • Comic Becomes Bible of Asia's Wine Culture

    Oct 23, 08 1:32 PM CDT
    Comic Becomes Bible of Asia's Wine Culture What do Freddie Mercury and a Jean-François Millet painting have in common? Both have been used to describe wine in The Drops of the Gods, a Japanese comic series that’s quickly becoming the go-to wine literature in Asia, reports the New York Times. Customers tend to ask for wines featured in the comic, leading wine sellers to snap up each issue. More »

  • 'Oentrepreneurs' Hit Napa

    Oct 9, 08 1:34 PM CDT
    'Oentrepreneurs' Hit Napa A new breed of winemakers is flowing into Napa Valley, writes Jeffrey O'Brien in a colorful look at the trend in Fortune. Investment bankers, tech entrepreneurs, and other wealthy refugees of the white-collar rat race are buying up vineyards at $400,000 per acre to pursue second careers that let them have a business—and a life. These "oentrepreneurs" aren’t just looking to make a buck; they’d rather generate buzz with sought-after, high-end cult wines.
    More »

  • In Vino, Cash: Amazon to Sell Wine

    Sep 11, 08 12:07 PM CDT
    In Vino, Cash: Amazon to Sell Wine Online shopping got a little more intoxicating today as Amazon announced it will start selling wine in the US starting in October, Reuters reports. The retailer —looking for a chunk of the $30 billion-plus US wine market —has partnered with Napa Valley Vintners, which will supply vino from the 315 wineries it represents. Only 7% of wine sales are currently made online.
    More »

  • Wine Drinkers Pick the Pink

    Aug 27, 08 3:04 PM CDT
    Wine Drinkers Pick the Pink Rosé wine has gone from tacky to trendy, with easy-to-swallow prices helping sales bubble up by nearly a third in the past year, compared to just a 5.1% boost for all wines. Both US and European consumers are hooked—in France, rosés are selling faster than whites, reports Portfolio. The blush boom has caught the attention of serious players, with makers in Bordeaux and other regions rushing to cash in.
    More »

This photo contains a rich vanilla aroma, faint notes of raspberry and a cleansing toothpaste finish.   (Shutterstock)
This photo contains notes of cherry, a hint of chocolate, and a towering fig finish.   (Shutterstock)
With hints of ... gasoline?   (Shutterstock)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

wine • wine industry • reviews • taste


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »