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+--- Thread: Ranting on the nature of wine writing (/thread-16640.html)
- Tyrrell - 05-19-2003
What I find frustrating is that in material I read on wines and such frequently mentions extraordinary and well-known wines. However, these wines are by virtue of their fame and quality priced out of the range that I can experience without investing great portions of my disposable income. As a result the wines that I've read the most about are wines that I've never tasted. I read about Krug champagne or Penfold's Grange and I think to myself "that sounds tasty I should go nab myself a bottle†but when I show up at my friendly local wine merchant I find prices that are comfortably into three big ugly digits of American dollars.
I'm not suggesting that anything could be done to change the situation, or implying that good low cost wines don't exist. I'm just venting my frustration that the wines I drink are only rarly the same ones that I read about.
- wondersofwine - 05-19-2003
Welcome to the board.
Tip: Read the best deals/bargains thread. Also many inexpensive Italian and Spanish wines are covered in those threads. And if you go back far enough we have answered the question on best pinot noir under $15, best merlot under $15, etc.
Even "Wine Spectator" reports on some value wines as does "Food and Wine" magazine.
WW covers a lot of the high end cabernet sauvignons, but lots of us on this board cover more affordable wines.
Don't get frustrated or angry. Emjoy the wines you can afford and share the information with us and we will do the same.
- Kcwhippet - 05-19-2003
Delve a bit further into the Forums (Fori?) here on the Wine Board, particularly the Wine Specific ones, and you'll find that about 90% (maybe more)of the wines mentioned are very, very affordable. Admittedly, there are the occasional TNs on wines in the $30 and up range, but most are considerably under that price. Bucko seasonally lists a large number of wonderful wines at great QPR, usually concurrent with his column on www.wineloverpage.com. Botafogo always has some wonderful Italian wines at virtually giveaway prices (sign up for his newsletter for more). If it's really wonderful wines at great prices you want, delve further.
BTW, welcome to the Wine Board.
- ShortWiner - 05-19-2003
Generally speaking, wine writing is over-rated, IMHO. Wine drinking, on the other hand...
There are indeed a lot of good suggestions on this board. Many of the people here really know their stuff and aren't overly enrthralled by the sound of their own fingers on the keys.
[This message has been edited by ShortWiner (edited 05-19-2003).]
- quijote - 05-20-2003
I understand your frustration very much, as I know that the most celebrated wines will never, ever touch my lips. On the other hand, though, there are so many outstanding bargain ($5-$25) wines that I will never get a chance to drink, just because of time alone.
There are a couple of things (at least) you can try if you want to try to have one of the high-priced wines you've mentioned:
* Go in with three or four other people to split the cost of a bottle. I bet that if you look around, you'll find other wine-lovers who are just as frustrated as you are, and they're waiting for the chance to taste something incredible and high-priced without having to make the whole purchase on their own.
* Many people buy a cup of coffee every day, or a newspaper, or cable tv.... set aside a small amount of money per day ($.50) or per week ($1-$2), perhaps even creating a special savings account just for a special wine fund.
* Or if you have a savings account, set aside the interest (or a part of it) that you earn for a luxury wine purchase.
Just an idea or two....
[This message has been edited by quijote (edited 05-20-2003).]
- Thomas - 05-20-2003
Being a freelance wine and food writer, I know exactly what you mean. I abhor the practice at newspapers and magazines that focus on the expensive, hyped up wines. But I know why they do it. Glamour sells; whether or not people can afford the wines they read about, they seem to find comfort in knowing that expensive, glamourous products tickle the human fancy.
Also, the higher priced, hyped products have the advertising money behind them to support magazines.
The real problem with the focus on such wines is that the general public hardly ever gets to understand the product on a basic, human level, thereby keeping wine raised on an unecessary pedestal; that is exactly the opposite of what the wine industry needs to win over more consumers.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 05-20-2003).]
- winoweenie - 05-20-2003
Hi Tyrell and welcome to the board. As I read your post you're not pointing your finger at our board but wine journalism in general, right? If not, don't read on. As foodie and others point out the glamourization business sells. Cars, Clothes, Diamonds, Food etc. Wine has been caught up in this with the emergance of the Specutater as a force. Pretty tough putting out a 140 to 160 page glossy on tasting notes alone every month.So they moved wine into the glamour Bix and played down the fact it's truely just an escapee from the food section of the Wed tabloid. They finally grudgeingly put in a " Best Buy " catagory. As has been advised, and rightly so, don't worry about the Granges of the world. Enjoy the Rosemount Diamonds that abound out there until you hit the Powerball. WW
- Tyrrell - 05-20-2003
Thank you all for your kind welcomes.
Winoweenie, yes I was speaking about other wine writing (I've only just arrrived here). Also let me say that 4800+ posts at the same message board is truly mind boggleing. (thirteen posts a day for over a year.)
- ShortWiner - 05-20-2003
Many things about WW are mind-boggling, which is why we love him [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
- Thomas - 05-20-2003
Too bad ww can't count past 20; the 4800 plus posts would mean something to him then...
- dananne - 05-20-2003
The thing that bothers me about wine writing (and I'm not just talking about WS here, but they bug me with this often -- even though I still read it monthly), is the wine reviews that you'll read with saliva pouring from your mouth, only to see that, like, 15 cases were produced! Like I have a snowball's chance of ever finding any! Jeez, why even bother with the review!
- Botafogo - 05-20-2003
Dananne, given that logic, reviewing concerts and plays that have already happened is also a waste of time, yes?
There are multiple reasons why one would want to read such reviews.
1) you are already aware of or even in the supply chain of the wine and you want to know whether to buy it or when to serve it.
2) Maybe you will GET interested enough to get in the supply chain and or seek it out on the secondary market or in a restaurant.
3) Maybe you are just trying to keep an eye on the over-inflated market for rich boy toys so you can RUN the other direction.
4) the actual WRITING is interesting enough that, just like cookbooks and travel magazines, it is provides a virtual, vicarious experience. Believe is or not, there are writers like that (Victor Hazan comes to mind) but they don't show up in the WS very often.
Roberto
- dananne - 05-20-2003
Roberto,
I agree with you on the intrinsic merits of those types of reviews, expecially that vicarious experience idea. I frequently read folks like Asher for that very reason. Proportionally speaking, however, I'd rather they devote more words to things I may actually have a chance finding. In your concert/play terms, it feels like reading a review of a backyard concert by a band that only tours in, say, the greater Sheboygan, Wisconsin metro area. I'd much rather read a concert review about a band whose CD I can find in my store and that may be visiting Atlanta on their upcoming tour to determine whether to see the show.
I don't mind reading the former review, and may find it both interesting and entertaining (I may even plan a trip to Sheboygan or seek out a bootleg CD), but the latter is far more useful for me in day-to-day terms.
- quijote - 05-20-2003
If you go to Sheboygan, you'll be required to drink beer and eat bratwurst at that concert.... [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]
But seriously, I rather agree with your point. In epicurian magazines, for example, such as Bon Appetit or Gourmet, I appreciate the articles on Moldavian chateau tours or Gasconian cooking seminars--experiences I'm sure I'll never have--as long as most of the rest of the mag is devoted to reviews that are reasonably within my reach.
- dananne - 05-21-2003
My family is from Beloit, my father lives in Williams Bay on Geneva, and I used to live in Cambridge, so I'm pretty well versed in beer, brats, and beer brats.
My family is both horrified and befuddled when I go home and have to explain I'm a vegetarian -- though I'm still on good terms with the beer [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]
- winoweenie - 05-21-2003
3 uh.....4 uh......5 uh......1 uhh.........2 uhhhh ww
- wondersofwine - 05-21-2003
My sister attended a summer session at the University of Wisconsin where she was nominated for queen of the summer prom. She was a little bit irked because that meant she had to attend the prom and miss out on the Sheboygan "Beer and Bratwurst" Festival.
(A girl from Florida was named prom queen.)
P.S. My sister arranged to take two art classes early in the morning (no homework) and then had the rest of the day free for waterskiing or swimming and sunning on the lakeshore.
[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 05-21-2003).]