Rumblings on wine - long and potentially controversial

[David M. Bueker]

Some rumblings that have been gnawing at my brain lately:

Someone very wise once said that once a year is too often for vintages (it was either Terry Theise or Terry Theise quoting David Schildknecht). I never used to believe that, but with the cellar bursting and new favorites getting ready to come on line again for the next vintage I have become a convert. I’m not ready for the 2006 Germans, or even for the 2004 Bordeaux futures (which I paid for in 2005) to come in. Soon it will be fall mailer season, as the wineries ask for the checks earlier and earlier in a clever plot to gain free use of my (and your) money. Never mind that the wines won’t ship until October or November, the order and money must be in during the summer. On the bright side, if there ever is a bad (classic?) vintage again we won’t have to wait that long for the next good (vintage of the century?) one.

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People, including me, should stop using the term “declassified” to describe spätlese or auslese eligible wine that is sold as kabinett. Declassification implies a wine that is not worthy. What has been going on for the last several years in Germany is that there is no “true” kabinett to sell. The problem is that in this avalanche of riches the most popular style of riesling at retail is still kabinett. So inevitably producers have to sell something with kabinett on the label. So they take a tank (or cask) of very nice spätlese, slap a kabinett label on it and go on their way. The consumer ends up with a bottle of wine at a below reality price that does one of two things: disappoints in its overt richness as compared to the traditional style of kabinett or creates false impressions as to what kabinett should be about. This was all driven home to me a couple of weeks ago when I opened a 2001 (yes 2001!) Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese. A friend remarked that it was a lovely wine, and then said “Is it a kabinett?” This was a finely balanced, elegant and rich auslese that could age for decades, but ended up being perceived (be a fairly experienced taster) as something far less than it was. Sure global warming is the major culprit here, but it’s also the market demanding something which mostly no longer exists. Kabinetts from vintages like 2003 or 2005 are frequently bigger than 2001 (remember when 2001 was the vintage of the century?) auslese. Despite the prices that would result, I wish producers would just sell wines that taste like auslese as auslese. If it’s a legitimate beerenauslese then sell it as such. Yes the legal must weight standards are ridiculously low, but what we have now is going way too far in the right way. Just remember that three consecutive right turns make a left. Getting back to my original premise on declassification, the issue is that the kabinetts of today are indeed not worthy of being sold as kabinett; they are worthy of being sold as spätlese and auslese. These wines are not being declassified, they are on sale!

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Taste polarization is the single greatest threat to wine in my opinion. In these days of 24x7 news cycles and indignation at the merest perception of a slight to anyone or anything, differing taste has become a source of division rather than something to be celebrated. Big, fruity wines are called over-the-top or “spoofy” or some other critical name, and restrained, lighter-bodied wines are called thin or insubstantial. Both styles provide immense pleasure to their target audiences, and despite worries to the contrary, one style does not really seem to be pushing out the other. Sure people may have to seek out different sources for lighter styled wines, but with the vast number of well made wines (and well made, cheap wines to boot) it’s just another step in the hunt. Sooner or later everyone is happy. So why then is taste polarization such a threat? It’s a threat because it divides wine lovers. There are two camps and they are both heavily armed with verbal and written barbs. Nothing good comes from the pejorative arguments about wine styles. I’m as guilty as anyone, and my (admittedly late) New Year’s resolution is to be more accepting of all styles, at least to the point of not rejecting them out of hand. I’m not saying I have to like them, but there is a degree of “good example of its type” that won’t kill me.

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One bottle does not a wine make. This is actually related to my thoughts on taste polarization, and it’s probably an equal threat, but more to wine makers than wine communities or wine in general. I’ve lost track of the number of times a single bottle of a wine has been met with comments like “Oh, that’s too bad. I used to count on this wine” or something like that. Certainly if there is a pattern of poor bottles then there is cause for concern, but wine is a natural product and as such variation should be expected. Heck, even Motorola, with their vaunted 6-sigma quality levels, makes a bad phone once in a while. Put fermented grape juice in a bottle and seal it up with a cork, plastic stopper, crown cap or screw cap and once in a while things are going to go bad. It doesn’t matter if the bottle cost $10 or $100. Now if a wine has been affected by TCA contamination I expect a refund or replacement if possible (as long as I have not been cellaring the wine for years), but that’s where the story ends. One bad bottle does not a trend make. If I see a pattern of problems in a wine I like to contact the winery to see if there is a general problem, but that’s between me and the winery, not between me, the internet and the winery. Oh, and by the way, as someone who has vociferously asked for screw caps, I will not ask for refunds on screw capped bottles that have closure-related problems. I am part of the crowd that pushed for the change. It’s my problem.

Thoughts? Answers? Snide remarks?

Fun post, David. Lots to chew on.

Declassification implies a wine that is not worthy.

I don't know if I'd say that . . . declassification has more of an 'opened up to the people' element for me and lacks the condescension that, say déclassé might have. And I would take 'on sale' to mean that is literally on sale! But I think I share your frustration of the mismatch between what is on the bottle and what is in it. As someone new to German wine, learning that a kabinett is a kabinett except when it's a spätlese adds unnecessary confusion to the mix. And yeah it might avoid the short-term dilemma of German winemakers having to say 'yes, we have no kabinett' but with the caveat that folks new to German wine will find negotiating its labels even more overwhelming--another example of the industry shooting itself in the foot. [Aside] And while were at it, if a wine says 12.5% alcohol--that's what it should have within some reasonable margin of error, dangnabit. [End Aside]

Big, fruity wines are called over-the-top or “spoofy” or some other critical name, and restrained, lighter-bodied wines are called thin or insubstantial. [snip] Nothing good comes from the pejorative arguments about wine styles. I’m as guilty as anyone, and my (admittedly late) New Year’s resolution is to be more accepting of all styles, at least to the point of not rejecting them out of hand. I’m not saying I have to like them, but there is a degree of “good example of its type” that won’t kill me.

I love opinionated notes, but find words that are pejorative but lacking in descriptive content to be less useful. For example, oak-bomb or fruit-bomb is a fine descriptor--another person could think, 'yeah, I love oak, so if it's heavy that's no problem for me'. Less useful would be spoofy, Parkerized, or insubstantial. Who is going to say 'yeah I love Parkerized wines' or' I would love to find a great insubstantial wine to go with my scampi'? But saying 'this is a fruit-forward high alcohol wine that attacks your tongue as a coordinated air-sea-land effort, if you're into that kind of thing' can signal AVOID or SEEK OUT for different folks depending on their palate. But I am always interested to learn what people thought about a wine and how strong those feelings were . . . and I wouldn't want my suggestions to dampen that in any way . . . And some pejorative words are helpful because they are descriptive, such as disjointed, unbalanced, hot, flat, and so on.

[David M. Bueker]

Fun post, David. Lots to chew on.

Declassification implies a wine that is not worthy.

I don't know if I'd say that . . . declassification has more of an 'opened up to the people' element for me and lacks the condescension that, say déclassé might have. .

I used to agree with you until a Decanter review of 2005 German Riesling Spätlese where one of the panel actually went on about declassified wines not being "the best examples" of their type. In the cases I am aware of it's usually more like "this is the closest we have to kabinett" so off it goes with the k-word on the label, no matter that it's stunning auslese.

David, excellent post. It has really put into focus some things that I've been thinking about recently - and one of the major reasons why I have huge misgivings about writing TNs nowadays. I often drink wines with close friends who have very different tastes to mine. They love overwoody, spoofulated (though a term in disfavour - I still find it useful, lol!!), gobby wines that I have difficulty swallowing. It may not seem so from the notes that I post, but I very much like tasting with these friends - and not only because they are friends, but because they understand this type of wine so well. They are able to explain to me what they like about it; they have helped me understand why such wines are favoured by some drinkers. I still don't like the wines, but I do understand.

Yet I believe that TNs should show exactly what one feels about the wine - hence my difficulty with them recently. I understand that the way some of my TNs read, they can be found very strident and dismissive of a certain style of wine. Which they are, because I don't like them. But I simply don't know how to get across the idea that I may appreciate the wine, but detest anyway.

And I have to say few words regarding the word spoofulation. I am sure I have been guilty of using it as a pejorative term, but AFAIK it isn't one. It should only describe a certain style of wine. FWIW, I have written positively on a couple wines which certainly are spoofy (Vietti's Barberas and some mid-modernist Bordeaux like Beauséjour-Becot). So even within my narrowminded tastes there is the possibility that some spoofy wines are good. I find these problems that I've outlined in reply to the polarization of tastes to be matters of semantics: how the words are defined and especially how they are understood when read.

I've got a bit more long and boring and probably useless things to say, but I have to go celebrate Vappu and drink lots of Champagne. I'll catch up later today or tomorrow.

-Otto-

[David M. Bueker]

I won't deny the usefulness of a term like spoofy, but I cannot think of any context where it would be perceived in any way but negative.

On the bright side, if there ever is a bad (classic?) vintage again we won’t have to wait that long for the next good (vintage of the century?) one.

No self-respecting wine sales person would allow this to occur.

BTW, I've seen your cellar. Discipline ain't your strong suit.
Just . . . say no.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

On the bright side, if there ever is a bad (classic?) vintage again we won’t have to wait that long for the next good (vintage of the century?) one.

No self-respecting wine sales person would allow this to occur.

BTW, I've seen your cellar. Discipline ain't your strong suit.
Just . . . say no.
Best, Jim

I never said it was. I'm to the point of saying maybe. It's not much, but it's a start. Most of my yes votes have been cheaper lately as well. But you are playing into my point. Fewer vintages would help quite a bit.

And I have to say few words regarding the word spoofulation. I am sure I have been guilty of using it as a pejorative term, but AFAIK it isn't one. It should only describe a certain style of wine. FWIW, I have written positively on a couple wines which certainly are spoofy (Vietti's Barberas and some mid-modernist Bordeaux like Beauséjour-Becot).

Hmmm, you know, I don't know how you research etymology for a word that is probably limited to the internet. But it appears to me that spoofulated was based on the word spoof and has generally been used to describe a wine that has been dependent on technological processes to transform it into something that it is not, a hoax. As spoof remains in the stem, it's hard for me to see how the term itself is not pejorative.

And I'm not trying to pick on you in any way, Otto, as I always appreciate your efforts to communicate as much as you can about the wines you taste (which I find quite helpful). But my problem with terms like spoofulated and Parkerized is, in part, they focus on the process by which they were produced rather than the end product itself--I drink the wine, not the process. But goodness gracious, this is just tasting notes we are talking about here, so if it saves you time and effort, I'm sure I'll figure out what you're trying to communicate!

Taste polarization is the single greatest threat to wine in my opinion. In these days of 24x7 news cycles and indignation at the merest perception of a slight to anyone or anything, differing taste has become a source of division rather than something to be celebrated. Big, fruity wines are called over-the-top or “spoofy” or some other critical name, and restrained, lighter-bodied wines are called thin or insubstantial. Both styles provide immense pleasure to their target audiences, and despite worries to the contrary, one style does not really seem to be pushing out the other. Sure people may have to seek out different sources for lighter styled wines, but with the vast number of well made wines (and well made, cheap wines to boot) it’s just another step in the hunt. Sooner or later everyone is happy. So why then is taste polarization such a threat? It’s a threat because it divides wine lovers. There are two camps and they are both heavily armed with verbal and written barbs. Nothing good comes from the pejorative arguments about wine styles. I’m as guilty as anyone, and my (admittedly late) New Year’s resolution is to be more accepting of all styles, at least to the point of not rejecting them out of hand. I’m not saying I have to like them, but there is a degree of “good example of its type” that won’t kill me.

This "cult of personality" stuff goes on in everything and its one of the reasons I try to stay away from incindiary posts and walk away from discussions of politics, religeon and the like. Its also one of the reasons the boards get so tiring.
Tolerance is a sadly missed virtue and a wonderful way to learn. Its absence can send me running for cover.
Best, Jim

Oh, and by the way, as someone who has vociferously asked for screw caps, I will not ask for refunds on screw capped bottles that have closure-related problems. I am part of the crowd that pushed for the change. It’s my problem.

Thoughts? Answers? Snide remarks?

David - I've asked for replacement screwcapped wine. Dented caps causing leaks are not my problem, especially if it is like that when the wine arrives by courier. Easy for the supplier to replace and send back up supply change. I've heard of suppliers replacing oxidized wines too - wines without any obvious leaking. A second bottle will quickly tell you what caused the problem - the closure or the wine.
Cheers,
Sue

[David M. Bueker]

Well if there was obvious damage to the cap I would of course seek a replacement, but I cannot find it in my heart to go after less obvious faults, lest I discourage the use of caps.

One bottle does not a wine make.

Agree 100%

The is alarge amount of bottle variation. The only way to know is to open several bottles at the same tim, and few of us do so at home.

But at the regular wine club tastings I am involved in, there is never one where at least one wine significally varies between bottles.

That is one reason why I don't have a great interest in points...

Taste polarization is the single greatest threat to wine in my opinion... it divides wine lovers. There are two camps and they are both heavily armed with verbal and written barbs. Nothing good comes from the pejorative arguments about wine styles.

Tolerance is a sadly missed virtue and a wonderful way to learn. Its absence can send me running for cover.
Best, Jim

Of course I agree that tolerance is important, and obviously there is no need for things to get out of control, but just as there is no reason to expect "music" lovers who like punk rock and those who like classical music to necessarily enjoy the same events there is no reason to expect lovers of diverse "wine" genres to enjoy the same events.

Ok, perhaps not a completely perfect analogy, but still..

Of course I agree that tolerance is important, and obviously there is no need for things to get out of control, but just as there is no reason to expect "music" lovers who like punk rock and those who like classical music to necessarily enjoy the same events there is no reason to expect lovers of diverse "wine" genres to enjoy the same events.

Rahsaan,
Enjoyment is one thing; disrespecting others' preferences another. And it is the latter that I was commenting on.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

Of course I agree that tolerance is important, and obviously there is no need for things to get out of control, but just as there is no reason to expect "music" lovers who like punk rock and those who like classical music to necessarily enjoy the same events there is no reason to expect lovers of diverse "wine" genres to enjoy the same events.

Rahsaan,
Enjoyment is one thing; disrespecting others' preferences another. And it is the latter that I was commenting on.
Best, Jim

As much as I can't stand hip-hop music, I try never to forget that my grandparents said the Beatles and Rolling Stones were just a fad that would pass & then everyone would listen to "real" music again.

So in that same vein there is room in the world for full-throttle Aussie Shiraz, just not in my cellar.

Thanks for the thoughtful ...er...thoughts.

While the use of the word "declassify" doesn't bother me, I agree that I'm a little tired of Auslese in Kabinett bottles. Which is why I've enjoyed the '04 Kabinetts so much.

I'm with you on the polarization issue. I so much prefer the "big concentrated wine, but a bit too much for me, and too much for my food" or "lighter elegant wine, I'd prefer a bit more concentration" to the comments (always from the same people ) about "spoofy cartoon of a wine designed for mindless followers of the Points Pontificator" or "thin underripe weedy wine for the "terroir apologists." I'm sure some/most of these people are sincere in their thoughts, but a substantial minority seem to be solidly in the camp of "look at me, I am great at flinging
s$%t." I never liked those hip-hop "feuds" either. I don't mind reasoned defences of your preferred style, but so many seem to question the validity of others' taste.

Lots of things to think about here... but let's face it, the problem with some of us is we have become far too obsessed with wine.

We think too much about wine, we read too much, we spend too much time on line on various wine boards, we spend waaaay too much money (I'm speaking for myself, and prolly some of you too )... I have one VinoTemp filled to the top, a fridge in the house and the outside BBQ fridge all filled to capacity.... come on.. I don't need more wine at this point.... and I'm trying not to buy...but ....

Our behavior is typical of consumer society...we learn this...to buy, buy buy... and our economic system depends on us continuing to behave this way...we are `sold' on the next vintage by all the hype...we feel compelled to buy when the mailers come in or the '06 Bordeaux futures become available, lest we miss something...does someone have something that I don't have? Does that make me less worthy?

And TNs can become a form of conspicuous consumption....where one can show off one's erudition and experience and palate...and yet that is so personal....no one can tell me or you what we might taste.. not really...not in all the details we sometimes resort to....yeah.. I do it too....peer pressure at work.. competition at work....we've all been spoofed by the wine culture...

I guess if you have larger resources to buy wine than I do, all this is no more harmful than the OC wife who spends all her time at the mall shopping, buying new cars and getting plastic surgery in the hopes of finding perfection. But I'm guessing many of us are not in that category of having seemingly unlimited resources...

And David said it... there is always a new great vintage of the century around the corner... I've had lots of great wines, some I can still taste and remember years later...and will not forget... and I'm glad to have tried them...but if I hadn't tasted those particular wines would my life have been much different? I don't think so... there would have been some other wine or some other experience to laud...

Drink what you can.. enjoy.. share it with others....we know it's just a beverage....and the tail should not wag the dog..

Over and out..

As a proud taste polarizer, I'd have to say that there is a big difference between fruity and spoofulated (which, btw, I believed to have been coined by Mike Wheeler, but opinions vary http://www.datamantic.com/joedressner/?1788).

To quote Mike:

These include: 200%+/- new oak, rottofermenters, micro ox, oak chips, de-acidifying, spin cone, reverse osmosis, adding nontraditional/not approved grapes to blends (for example Vallana Spanna's in the glory days, he added Aglianico but sold it as pure Nebb, aka he was one of the Great Historical Spoofalators, history has many examples of Spoofalicious Wines, like great Pinot with "Rhone/Algerian" juice added, I had a 59 Chambertin the other day that was awesome, been sitting in a cellar for over 40 years, yummy but not pure Pinot hence, Spoofulated)....also spoofed wines are wines where enzymes/yeast/flavors are added to "create" a wine etc

Anyhow, I think there is a difference between fraud or inauthenticity and fruit. Wines from warm climates can be authentically fruitier or higher in alcohol without being spoofed, and cool climate, early harvested industrial Muscadet can be spoofed out the wazoo with yeasts, enzymes, chaptalization, and the works.

But I agree on the Pradikats.

[David M. Bueker]

Anyhow, I think there is a difference between fraud or inauthenticity and fruit. Wines from warm climates can be authentically fruitier or higher in alcohol without being spoofed, and cool climate, early harvested industrial Muscadet can be spoofed out the wazoo with yeasts, enzymes, chaptalization, and the works.

I agree with you. That's part of why it is rant #3.

...does someone have something that I don't have? Does that make me less worthy?

. . .

Drink what you can.. enjoy.. share it with others....we know it's just a beverage....and the tail should not wag the dog..

Beautifully said!

I've been known to envy folks living down in Missouri for their easy access to Norton/Cynthiana, which continues to be a complete vinous stranger up here in Ontari-ari-o. That said, I think it's important to be able to take what the good earth gives you wine-wise, and make any day special. I used to think along the "special occasion" line, but chucked that away soon enough. Nowadays I love to open a bottle just to celebrate life.

Lots of things to think about here... but let's face it, the problem with some of us is we have become far too obsessed with wine (all text)...Over and out..

Refreshingly honest perspective, Jim, and perhaps something of an answer to an OP I just submitted regarding how everyone manages to be so "saturated" in their wine experience (excuse the really bad pun).

Lots of things to think about here... but let's face it, the problem with some of us is we have become far too obsessed with wine.

We think too much about wine, we read too much, we spend too much time on line on various wine boards, we spend waaaay too much money (I'm speaking for myself, and prolly some of you too )... I have one VinoTemp filled to the top, a fridge in the house and the outside BBQ fridge all filled to capacity.... come on.. I don't need more wine at this point.... and I'm trying not to buy...but ....

Our behavior is typical of consumer society...we learn this...to buy, buy buy... and our economic system depends on us continuing to behave this way...we are `sold' on the next vintage by all the hype...we feel compelled to buy when the mailers come in or the '06 Bordeaux futures become available, lest we miss something...does someone have something that I don't have? Does that make me less worthy?

And TNs can become a form of conspicuous consumption....where one can show off one's erudition and experience and palate...and yet that is so personal....no one can tell me or you what we might taste.. not really...not in all the details we sometimes resort to....yeah.. I do it too....peer pressure at work.. competition at work....we've all been spoofed by the wine culture...

I guess if you have larger resources to buy wine than I do, all this is no more harmful than the OC wife who spends all her time at the mall shopping, buying new cars and getting plastic surgery in the hopes of finding perfection. But I'm guessing many of us are not in that category of having seemingly unlimited resources...

And David said it... there is always a new great vintage of the century around the corner... I've had lots of great wines, some I can still taste and remember years later...and will not forget... and I'm glad to have tried them...but if I hadn't tasted those particular wines would my life have been much different? I don't think so... there would have been some other wine or some other experience to laud...

Drink what you can.. enjoy.. share it with others....we know it's just a beverage....and the tail should not wag the dog..

Over and out..

Almost 100% dittos from me.

[David M. Bueker]

Lots of things to think about here... but let's face it, the problem with some of us is we have become far too obsessed with wine.

We think too much about wine, we read too much, we spend too much time on line on various wine boards, we spend waaaay too much money (I'm speaking for myself, and prolly some of you too )

Well I agree about the money (if not for wine I could be retired by now ), but wine is my hobby (and not my only hobby). If I wasn't so obsessed with wine I would not have made a large number of really dear friends. I would not have connected as well with my Dad over the last 15 years. I would have spent many boring nights in hotel rooms while traveling for work instead of enjoying the company of like minded people and sharing a fine meal (and wine of course). I would talk a lot more about golf and that would really piss off my wife.

If I wasn't so obsessed with wine I would be obsessed with something else. I have an obsessive personality (as I bet many of us do) and that is goin gto get fed one way or another.

If I wasn't so obsessed with wine I would be obsessed with something else. I have an obsessive personality (as I bet many of us do) and that is goin gto get fed one way or another.

I can definitely relate. I also understand how it is to be so passionately, intensely focused and consumed by one's favourite hobby.
In all likelihood I've mentioned this before, but it's gotten to the point where I can hardly walk or drive past an open field and not dream for a moment about what grape varieties I'd plant there and in what direction I'd orient the rows ...