Comments on: Cheap vs. Expensive Wine: Can You Taste the Difference? http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference Strategies for working for yourself and living the life you want Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:02:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Gary "Iron" Chevsky http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference#comment-7123 Gary "Iron" Chevsky Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:00:56 +0000 http://www.freepursuits.com/?p=3590#comment-7123 I understand but somewhat disagree with the gist of the article, though certainly agree with some of the points. I second Felix's review. I am what you'd consider a wine aficionado, I love and study wine, have a certification, been a partner at a wine shop that conducts daily tastings, and I write about wine regularly on my Iron Chevsky blog at www.chevsky.com (pardon the plug). I have done a number of blind and non-blind tests, and participated in even more. There is no question in my mind (from my own evolution of drinking as well as from observing others) that generally more expensive wines are more nuanced, more balanced, have more interesting personalities and are of higher quality. I don't believe you can find a GREAT wine in under-$20 range, though you can find many good wines. In under $8, you can find passable wines, but not anything seriously good. However, I do agree that when it comes to people's enjoyment of the drink, it's very common they will enjoy the 2-buck-chuck (I used to as well, years ago, when I didn't know any better.). Juice tastes good too. As Alder Yarrow (perhaps the most famous wine blogger) once wrote to me - "for most people wine is no more complicated than ice-cream". True - for most occassional drinkers, the juicier, oakier and sweeter the wine (even if they think they are drinking a dry wine), the more they like it - it's primary and tasty and easy - the aspects we like when we are children. Over the years, with practice, experimentation and actually reflecting about what we are drinking, some people will continue evolving their palates. It is, IMHO is no different from appreciation of anything artistic or skilled - art, music, cinema, food. For most people, subtleties are lost and are not appreciated. They prefer loud and obvious, which are usually much easier to make - just dump a bunch of ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper - and voila! But master chefs use less to achieve more! I don't think anyone would argue that there is a place for In-n-Out Burger (or whatever your favorite fast food joing) and for French Laundry (3-michelin star restaurant). Both can be enjoyed tremendously, and depending on one's level of sophistication, they may wonder why anyone would ever spend $700 on a lunch at French Laundry. They are not *wrong* in their enjoyment - simply limited. As for the power of suggestion, I agree absolutely, and plan on writing an entire blog article on that, having had quite a bit of experience. Best regards, Iron Chevsky. I understand but somewhat disagree with the gist of the article, though certainly agree with some of the points. I second Felix’s review. I am what you’d consider a wine aficionado, I love and study wine, have a certification, been a partner at a wine shop that conducts daily tastings, and I write about wine regularly on my Iron Chevsky blog at http://www.chevsky.com (pardon the plug). I have done a number of blind and non-blind tests, and participated in even more. There is no question in my mind (from my own evolution of drinking as well as from observing others) that generally more expensive wines are more nuanced, more balanced, have more interesting personalities and are of higher quality. I don’t believe you can find a GREAT wine in under-$20 range, though you can find many good wines. In under $8, you can find passable wines, but not anything seriously good. However, I do agree that when it comes to people’s enjoyment of the drink, it’s very common they will enjoy the 2-buck-chuck (I used to as well, years ago, when I didn’t know any better.). Juice tastes good too. As Alder Yarrow (perhaps the most famous wine blogger) once wrote to me – “for most people wine is no more complicated than ice-cream”. True – for most occassional drinkers, the juicier, oakier and sweeter the wine (even if they think they are drinking a dry wine), the more they like it – it’s primary and tasty and easy – the aspects we like when we are children. Over the years, with practice, experimentation and actually reflecting about what we are drinking, some people will continue evolving their palates. It is, IMHO is no different from appreciation of anything artistic or skilled – art, music, cinema, food. For most people, subtleties are lost and are not appreciated. They prefer loud and obvious, which are usually much easier to make – just dump a bunch of ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper – and voila! But master chefs use less to achieve more! I don’t think anyone would argue that there is a place for In-n-Out Burger (or whatever your favorite fast food joing) and for French Laundry (3-michelin star restaurant). Both can be enjoyed tremendously, and depending on one’s level of sophistication, they may wonder why anyone would ever spend $700 on a lunch at French Laundry. They are not *wrong* in their enjoyment – simply limited.

As for the power of suggestion, I agree absolutely, and plan on writing an entire blog article on that, having had quite a bit of experience.

Best regards,
Iron Chevsky.

]]> By: Rush Limbaugh Most Influential Conservative - Page 2 http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference#comment-6571 Rush Limbaugh Most Influential Conservative - Page 2 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:13:35 +0000 http://www.freepursuits.com/?p=3590#comment-6571 [...]            Go to Top Since we're off topic, wine is a scam: Cheap vs. Expensive Wine: Can You Taste the Difference? - Free Pursuits http://www.wine-economics.org/journa...ol%203_1.pd f There was a wider study done with 60,000 [...] [...]            Go to Top Since we're off topic, wine is a scam: Cheap vs. Expensive Wine: Can You Taste the Difference? – Free Pursuits http://www.wine-economics.org/journa…ol%203_1.pd f There was a wider study done with 60,000 [...]

]]> By: Dragos Roua http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference#comment-6487 Dragos Roua Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:49:56 +0000 http://www.freepursuits.com/?p=3590#comment-6487 Well, I definitely recommend you a Romanian wine called "Lacrima lui Ovidiu", or, if you enjoy more heavy, "Busuioaca de Bohotin". They're close to cognac but have a very unique taste. Well, I definitely recommend you a Romanian wine called “Lacrima lui Ovidiu”, or, if you enjoy more heavy, “Busuioaca de Bohotin”. They’re close to cognac but have a very unique taste.

]]> By: Akila http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference#comment-6455 Akila Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:01:50 +0000 http://www.freepursuits.com/?p=3590#comment-6455 As we have been traveling round the world, we try to frequently stop at wine regions to taste wine. We both are avid wine drinkers though by no means connoisseurs. Now, after several months frequently tasting top-notch wines, we tend to gravitate toward the expensive wines. The difference is this: expensive wines are usually hand made with the best grapes in older barrels and aged longer. As the tastings are free, we don't even look at the price of the bottle until we are done tasting but, almost always, we end up liking the wine that is more expensive. It isn't universally true --- in some cases, we have preferred the $15 bottle to the $60 bottle, but, more often than not, we go for the more expensive bottle based solely on taste alone. Whether or not we buy the bottle is, of course, a different story. As we have been traveling round the world, we try to frequently stop at wine regions to taste wine. We both are avid wine drinkers though by no means connoisseurs. Now, after several months frequently tasting top-notch wines, we tend to gravitate toward the expensive wines. The difference is this: expensive wines are usually hand made with the best grapes in older barrels and aged longer. As the tastings are free, we don’t even look at the price of the bottle until we are done tasting but, almost always, we end up liking the wine that is more expensive. It isn’t universally true — in some cases, we have preferred the $15 bottle to the $60 bottle, but, more often than not, we go for the more expensive bottle based solely on taste alone. Whether or not we buy the bottle is, of course, a different story.

]]> By: Corbett Barr http://www.freepursuits.com/cheap-vs-expensive-wine-can-you-taste-the-difference#comment-6442 Corbett Barr Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:58:45 +0000 http://www.freepursuits.com/?p=3590#comment-6442 Hey Felix, I think this is your first time commenting here, no? I should have known this subject would get you to write something ;) You're absolutely right about their being a major difference between casual wine drinkers and wine "experts." I think art is a great correlate to wine, in that most people have no idea why various different works would be considered better or more sought after by collectors and/or experts. I can't imagine how different wine might taste to you after 25+ years of careful study ;). The broader point I was getting at in the article is how marketing and pricing influences people who don't consider themselves experts in a particular field. Cheers! -Corbett Hey Felix, I think this is your first time commenting here, no? I should have known this subject would get you to write something ;)

You’re absolutely right about their being a major difference between casual wine drinkers and wine “experts.” I think art is a great correlate to wine, in that most people have no idea why various different works would be considered better or more sought after by collectors and/or experts. I can’t imagine how different wine might taste to you after 25+ years of careful study ;) . The broader point I was getting at in the article is how marketing and pricing influences people who don’t consider themselves experts in a particular field.

Cheers! -Corbett

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