Easier to determine blind, origin of coffee or wine?

The spoofulated thread had me thinking. If one were to provide me with three glasses of Cabernet and tell me the three countries of origin as well as three cups of coffee and the coutries of origin which would be easier to identify? For me today, I think that the coffee would be easier assuming that it was not roasted to the point of masking the flavor profile. However, 15 years ago it would have been the other way around. Some of this is due to how much more I understand coffee now having been home roasting for 5 years but some of it is also related to the spoofulated thread and how many wines can taste like they all come from the same place these days.

The spoofulated thread had me thinking. If one were to provide me with three glasses of Cabernet and tell me the three countries of origin as well as three cups of coffee and the coutries of origin which would be easier to identify? For me today, I think that the coffee would be easier assuming that it was not roasted to the point of masking the flavor profile. However, 15 years ago it would have been the other way around. Some of this is due to how much more I understand coffee now having been home roasting for 5 years but some of it is also related to the spoofulated thread and how many wines can taste like they all come from the same place these days.

Interesting question, Brian. As a coffee and wine lover, I'd have to say that -- as usual -- it depends on producer. If you give me a classic Napa Cab, classic Medoc and Torres Mas la Plana, I think that I'd stand a good chance of getting their origin right. However, spoofy aka "Internationalized" Cabs would be nigh unto impossible for me to distinguish: I've had "modern" Left Bank Bdx that tasted like Chateau Souverain or Beringer, which in turn taste like so many Chilean Cabs I've had. Likewise, the single source coffees that I've had from Peet's have been pretty distinct to me: the "high toned" acidity of the African coffees, the earthy, low-acid character of the Indonesian coffees and the light bodied, fruity character of the Central American coffees. The same sources from Starbucks, though, taste pretty much the same to me (charred, mostly). And the underroasted "cinnamon roast" coffees sold elsewhere all taste pretty bland to me.

Mark Lipton

Isn't this a bit of invalid comparison? Because you are saying "assuming that it was not roasted to the point of masking the flavor profile" yet not providing the same kind of parameters for the wines. Overroasting is the coffee version of internationalization.

wine easier than coffee - because I'm more geeky about wine

Isn't this a bit of invalid comparison? Because you are saying "assuming that it was not roasted to the point of masking the flavor profile" yet not providing the same kind of parameters for the wines. Overroasting is the coffee version of internationalization.

Or over-oaking, Dale.

Isn't this a bit of invalid comparison? Because you are saying "assuming that it was not roasted to the point of masking the flavor profile" yet not providing the same kind of parameters for the wines. Overroasting is the coffee version of internationalization.

You are correct, of course. I am in agreement with Mark in that if you give me three different Starbucks selections forget it as I can't tell the difference. Faulty logic on my part I guess since one big reason I am more able to distinquish coffee is because I am controlling one of the major parameters in the degree of roast.