Wine Grouch

Reserved about Reserve

2011-01-29T14:17:00.003+11:00

Reserve wines are wines created from better quality grapes, with greater amount of effort and care. As such they often attract a premium price. But are reserve wines worth their premium prices and, more importantly, do we enjoy them more? Roman L. Weil decided to investigate, and after a significant amount of research came back with a resounding no, as the answer. The paper "Analysis of Reserve and Regular Bottlings: Why Pay for a Difference Only the Critics Claim to Notice?" describes the following study conducted on 829 participants. A reserve and regular wine are purchased from the same vineyard and the same year. Randomly, either the reserve wine or regular wine is poured into 2 glasses, while the other one is poured into one glass. The three glasses are given to a tester. The task of the tester is to

Determine which two glasses contain the same wine. This exercise attempts to find out if the tester is able to tell the difference between the two wines at all.
Identify the wine which the tester prefers.

If reserve wines tasted better, we would expect that each tester can first tell reserve and regular wine apart (identify which two glasses contain the same wine), and would always indicate that the reserve wine is better. Thus 100% of participants should get the first task correct, and furthermore, 100% should point to the reserve wine as the better of the two. If there is no discernable difference we could expect only 33.3% of participants to correctly pick which two glasses contain the same wine. And even after they correctly picked, 50% would prefer one type of wine and 50% the other.

The results of Weil's study indicates that we are much closer to the latter than to the former. 40% of participants were able to correctly identify the pair of glasses with identical wine. Out of those who were correct, 51.6% preferred the reserve wine and the other 48.4% preferred the regular wine. What that means is that the average, even enthusiastic wine drinker has slightly better than random chance of picking the reserve wine. Even if they get it right, which one they prefer is totally random.

It is worth noting that Weil used, what is called by the beverage business, a triangle test^‡. This type of test is used to obtain meaningful results when the degree of difference (DOD) between two products is small. Say, salt and vinegar have DOD 10 out of 10, as you can always tell them apart. On the other hand Coke and Pepsi have DOD 4. The triangle test is credited with a greater efficiency comparison of discrimination tests.

^‡The credit for this information goes to Mickey Kataria, who dug it out from the bags of trivia about Coke and Pepsi taste tests.

Wine futures

2010-08-29T14:54:00.004+10:00

Recently I was asked if I would like to go halves on wine futures for 2009 First Growth Bordeaux Magnum. Being the cautious and skeptical type I decided to take a closer look at the wine futures market. Wine futures allow you to purchase wine about 18 months before it is generally available. You are not buying a cat in a bag, so to speak. While the wine is in barrels, it is sampled before en primeur are made available and expert allocated scores are made public. You also know the general conditions in which a given vintage was prepared; whether it was hot or wet, if the yields were high or low, etc. So you can have a reasonable guess about the quality of wine you are about to buy.

The main advantage advertised by various wine futures outlets, especially in the US, is that it allows you to purchase wine at a much lower price. It was touted as a great investment. The hype was pushed further with soaring future prices. As noted in New York Times, "Château-Lafite Rothschild, a first-growth Bordeaux, [...] soared from £675, or $955, for a 12-bottle case in the 2002 futures to £4,000 a case for 2005." This equals to about $470 per bottle of the wine you will receive in a year and a half. Thus not only the wine was getting pricier, but the right to buy wine in the future increased by almost 600% in 3 years. Then the financial crash of 2007/08 happened and all of sudden the speculators and even regular buyers disappeared. The index that tracks wine futures values lost 43% in the following year. A deeper analysis indicates that people are not drinking (noticeably) less. They simply are drinking cheaper wine. The futures have recovered in 2010, though all this talk about double-dip recession in the US might prove the recovery to be short-lived.

There is another problem with wine futures. The type of wine sold with this method is usually a type of wine that greatly benefits from prolonged cellaring. If you are OK with drinking your $470.00 bottle of wine brimming with tannins that will make your tongue feel like you just took a sip of paint stripper, you clearly have too much money, or not enough sense and taste. If you want to enjoy it, give it about 10 years in a cellar that consistently maintains 15° Celsius (59F) temperature. Don't have that cellar? You can have a professional storage take care of this for you for about $2 per bottle per year. But this adds $240 to your case of wine in total costs.

Final point is that most mortals may not be able to tell a difference between, say $50 bottle of wine and $470 bottle. If you truly think you do, take a double blind test. Go to BevMo in the US, or Vintage Cellars in Australia. Buy four wines from the same region, of the same variety (cabernet, or shiraz, etc.), with one one priced at $15, one at $30, one at $60 and one at $120. If possible select the wines that were similarly rated. Put them in 4 decanters for 4 hours. Cool them down to 17C. Prepare four identical looking glasses and leave the room. Have another person enter the room, pour wine in glasses, rearrange them in random but known to them order, and remove the decanters. Go back, and taste them. Pick the wine you prefer. Did you prefer by a bit or by a lot? Did you pick the most expensive wine? Could you tell the difference between various wines and if so, was the difference pronounced or subtle? This exercise should give you enough insight if spending extra $420 on a bottle of wine (over that $50 wine) is justified.

For those keeping the score, buying wine futures makes sense if you are after hard to get wine, available in limited release. It also is a good method if you wish to buy unusual formats, such as magnum or half bottles. Wine futures are a reasonably performing investment, if you are going to cellar your wine for about 10 years. Since you will wait 1.5 years to get this wine, it means that you benefit the most if you have 12 year investment horizon. Finally, it is a fantastic way to leapfrog the Joneses.

If you cannot cellar your wines, or have a hard time telling the difference between cabernet and merlot, let alone French vs American oak, if you get impatient during 3 minute commercial breaks, and 12 years seem like an eternity, maybe buying good wine, generally available online or in your local store, is a better option.

Cat's pee

2009-07-13T20:35:00.002+10:00

New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc is one of the best in the world. It is distinguished by a good balance, fruity nose, nice, refreshing citrus, and just the right amount of tartiness to give it a lift. To put it simply, it tastes refreshing and good. That apparently was not enticing enough. A 6 year long study, that cost $12,000,000 attempted to find the exact reason why New Zealand's sauvignon is so much appreciated. The verdict? Cat's pee and passionfruit. Coopers Creek wanted in on the fun and named their sauvignon blanc "Cat's pee on the Gooseberry Bush". Others hope that people will just appreciate the taste and not pay attention to the experts. I just wonder how does the expert know what the cat's pee taste like?

Heavy metal ... wine?

2008-11-09T15:48:00.005+11:00

A recently published study of levels of heavy metal ions in wines delivered some unexpected and unpleasant news. Declan P Naughton and Andrea Petroczi tested wines from 15 countries (unfortunately, wines from the USA, Australia or New Zealand were not included). However, among the wines they tested they found that only wines form Argentina, Brazil and Italy did not have significant levels of heavy metal ions. They calculated a Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). A THQ below 1.0 is considered non-hazardous. In typical red wines potential maximum THQ values ranged from 50 to 200, with Hungarian and Slovakian wines reaching 300. Naughton explained the significance of the unpleasantly high THQ:

"Excess intake of metal ions is credited with pathological events such as Parkinson's disease. In addition to neurological problems, these ions are also believed to enhance oxidative damage, a key component of chronic inflammatory disease which is a suggested initiator of cancer."

Thus it seems that drinking wines from Hungary, Slovakia, and even Spain, Portugal, or France, rather than being healthy, can have the opposite effect. Wine Spectator (no surprise here) published, however, a retort. They noted that

"[...] a typical 18-year-old would have to drink 8.5 ounces (one to two glasses) of the tested wines for more than 17,000 days before reaching a level of concern."

Also George Soleas, a vice president of quality assurance on LCBO, notes that the levels found in wines can often be found in regular drinking water. Not that this makes it less unhealthy.

Coates Consonance Syrah 2006

2008-07-31T17:35:00.003+10:00

Consonance Syrah introduces this wine by quoting a dictionary definition of the word consonance:

1. Accord or agreement
2. Simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of repose.

The wine itself has a very pleasant nose, with dark and sweet undertones. The taste is dark, very licorice, bitter chocolate and feels rather heavy. After a few sips I was overwhelmed and yearned for some fruit. It seems that the combined, although balanced, assault of oak and tannins attack successfully breached defenses put up by my taste buds and held them captive.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Wakatake Ginjo "Onikorishi" Sake

2008-07-26T15:22:00.007+10:00

Sake inhabits the world between wine and beer. It is produced by multiple fermentation of rice, which resembles the way beer is made. On the other hand, lack of carbonation and relatively high alcohol content cause it to be classified as "rice wine". As John Gauntner argues in his "The Sake Handbook", it is neither and deserves its own category. Considering that there are hundreds of sake varieties, many ways in which it can be sampled, and a lifetime of learning spent by sake craftsmen mastering the process, I agree with this point of view.

This weekend Jill requested that we have sushi. While we could pair it up with some nice lively white wine, I decided that sake would make this a more complete experience. The sake we selected is described by John Gautner, while retelling an anecdote about the origin of its name, in the following words:

This small brewery makes what is perhaps the most famous sake in Japan, called Onikorishi, or Demon Killer. This term was previously used to refer to sake so bad it could kill a demon, but a kura in Gifu Prefecture had the courage to reverse the phrase's meaning. They deliberately called their sake Onikorishi, implying it was so good it could kill a demon. The name stuck, and there are many Onikorishi sake today, most dry and strong, but few as good as this one.

Not being a sake connoisseur I am hesitant to add much more than the above description. Needless to say, we were happy with our selection and this sake complemented our sushi dinner perfectly.

d'Arenberg The Twenty-Eight Road Mourvedre 2005

2008-07-23T22:01:00.023+10:00

d'Arenberg is one of those wineries from which we are still yet to have a bad experience. Even their cheaper wines are of high quality. The Twenty-Eight Road Mourvedre, which is d'Arenberg's middle range wine, derives its name from one of the roads that encompasses the estate. The other road, The Coppermine Road, gave name to a high quality Cabernet from d'Arenberg.

The wine itself is very herbaceous, with nice, yet velvety tannins. Well integrated oak adds roasted undertones. The wine is almost a fruit bomb, yet retains rich softness. The nose was pleasant and I could not detect the "gaminess" that some associate with Mourvedre. Overall another very enjoyable experience from d'Arenberg.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Gartelmann Benjamin Semillon 2007

2008-07-22T20:36:00.004+10:00

As mentioned in a previous entry, we quite enjoy Gartelmann wines, and the Benjamin Semillon is no exception. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be subtle. It is crisp, citrusy, and full of fruit with good balance, no bitterness, and a relatively low alcohol content. It would be great on a warm Saturday afternoon, although it was just as good on a cold Sunday night!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Centennial Vineyards Woodside Verdelho 2006

2008-07-10T18:00:00.008+10:00

Centennial Vineyards are located in Bowral, NSW, the town known to most as the birth place of Sir Donald Bradman. We briefly visited this vineyard on our way from Bungonia State Conservation Area. At the time we purchased a wine called "Bong Bong Red" purely because of its name, which proved to be the only memorable thing about this wine.

This time, however, I got a chance to try Woodside Verdelho. The wine has a light yellow color with citrus accents and a touch of oak on the nose. The palate is very much "pure grapefruit". It actually feels like chewing on grapefruit; you start with acidity of the juice and once it is gone a bitter note becomes dominant. Strangely, the finish has its appeal, though some might find it a bit off-putting. This seems like a good wine to have at a summer picnic.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Bleasdale Frank Potts 2005

2008-07-06T20:20:00.007+10:00

I bought this wine as I was looking for wines that use Malbec grapes. Malbec's intense color, plum-like flavors, and robust tannins can help create rich, bold wines. However, I knew nothing either about the Bleasdale Vineyards nor about the Langhorne region from which the wine came.

The wine turned out to be a very nice surprise. It has a very pleasant, deep color, and subtle black currant smell. Good solid body and round tannins make this wine a pleasure to drink. It tastes to me like an elegant Cabernet with a bit of spring in its step. James Halliday credits the Langhorne region with "soft tannins", and this wine is a classic example of that. It is also an excellent value for money, as it retails for under $30.

Rating: 7 out of 10

$100 wine markup

2008-06-22T20:46:00.008+10:00

The Sydney Morning Herald ponders "outrageous mark-ups" that some restaurants add to the wines they offer. In top Sydney restaurants it is not uncommon to find a mark-up as high as $100. As it is hard to find a very good wine for under $30, it means that you can expect to pay $130 or more on top of your meal.
The Wine Spectator Blog ponders the other side of the coin, which is the corkage charged for bringing your own wine. People often bring wines to avoid paying three times as much for the wine, and restaurants often charge high corkage to prevent people from doing exactly this. Of course, there is more to it. Those with extensive wine collections have more wine that chances to drink it, and thus it makes sense to bring that special bottle of wine to that special meal. Restaurants charge corkage, as they often provide the customer with a decanter, and high end glassware. Restaurant owners also argue that they "need to make a profit". This point I can see. However, Michael McMahon, the owner of Catalina at Rose Bay, claims that "In decent restaurants, wine and food is really cheap compared to what you pay overseas." As somebody who had the opportunity to dine in top restaurants on 3 continents, I would say this is nonsense. And thanks to the Internet it is easy to verify. Tra Vigne, a very good restaurant in the heart of Napa Valley, charges $28 for Beef Short Ribs with Polenta, which are to die for. The most expensive dish at Bistro Don Giovanni, Grilled 13 oz. Dry Aged Prime Ribeye, will cost you $35. On the other hand a dry aged angus sirloin in Catalina at Rose Bay costs $AU 43.00. Back in 2000/01 it was a bargain, but nowadays this is $US41.01. Reality, in my opinion, seems to be that top Sydney restaurants charge more both for wine and food than top overseas restaurants. But nobody is going to fly to say, Napa, to save $30 on a meal and wine, if airlines charge $1800 for the pleasure.

Ata Rangi Crimson 2006

2008-06-22T20:17:00.005+10:00

To some extent this wine is to Ata Rangi flagship Pinot Noir as Mimi to Elle McPherson: a very nice effort by itself, yet overshadowed by its more famous sister.

When opened, Ata Rangi Crimson smells like a Pinot should, which is often described as "wet dog". After a 24h period in a decanter (we drank it with dinner or Saturday and Sunday) the wine lost this smell and developed a very appealing aroma, with a bit of a sweet edge. It has a nice, solid body though the alcohol seemed to overwhelm other aromas, even though it is at a moderate 13.5%. There was a hint of bitterness on the finish, which again disappeared after a night in the decanter. It is worth noting that a percentage of the proceeds from sales goes to Project Crimson, whose goal is to protect New Zealand's native Pōhutukawa and rata trees.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Grant Burge 10 Year Tawny Port

2008-06-20T21:07:00.005+10:00

Grant Burge 10 Year Tawny Port has a brilliant maroon color. The nose is nice and nutty, with a hint of oak. Well balanced palate, with the typical sweetness of a tawny port and some fruity liveliness. A rather high alcohol content is well integrated and brings a plush warmness to this fortified wine. Overall a very good effort and just the right drop for a cold, winter night.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

2008-06-15T19:42:00.008+10:00

Nice, deep red color. Pleasant classic blackcurrant nose, with a bit of earthiness and tobacco to it. Good mouth feel, with a concentrated, solid body and no bitter after taste. Tannins gives this wine a rather dry feel and slightly undercut the fruit. A wine with some oomph, which might go best with a bold and flavorful dish.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Tatler Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2007

2008-06-09T18:01:00.011+10:00

We visited Tatler Wines in 2008. The winery is named after the historic Tatler Hotel located on George St in Sydney. It is known for its Nigel's Hunter Valley Semillon, Dimitri's Paddock Chardonnay and The Nonpariel Hunter Valley Shiraz. However, we indulged in their sparkling wine, The Tatler, that combines Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. This amalgam gives it a unique, salmon color. The Pinot gives this wine a bit of dry, tart edge, while Chardonnay brings nice acidity, giving it a bit of a zest. The experience is completed with a good nose and a nice, light in-mouth texture.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Wine health benefits

2008-06-08T15:52:00.007+10:00

Wine health benefits have been touted by the media, press and wine industry. The core benefits mentioned were the ability of wine and red wine in particular, to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Wine was also shown to act as an antioxidant and help prevent blood clots. It turns out, however, that the benefit equation is not that simple. M. Trevisan, E. Schisterman, A. Mennotti, G. Farchi, and S. Conti conducted a study on drinking habits and health risks that involved 8,647 men and 6,521 women, aged 30–59, followed over 7 years. Their conclusion is a rather sobering one:

Drinkers of wine outside meals exhibited higher death rates from all causes, noncardiovascular diseases, and cancer, as compared to drinkers of wine with meals.

While the mechanism is not quite clear, the following explanation has been forwarded: drinking with meals lowers blood pressure and positively affects lipids. Food also lowers the amount of damage alcohol does to the system by reducing the rate of alcohol absorption and promoting a faster rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the body. Without food, there are no lipids to affect and no oxidants to fight, while alcohol levels spike faster in the blood stream.

It is easy to sell people on wine benefits. After all, wine is tasty and makes us feel good. However, too often people use averages, thinking that 2-3 bottles of wine on the weekend are as good as a glass of wine daily. The above study shows that this is not the case, but also that it matters if you drink that one glass of wine with or without your dinner.

Concha Y Toro Don Melchor 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-06-05T09:22:00.004+10:00

I've always wanted to try the Concha Y Toro wines, so this was a great opportunity to try one, and a 97 pointer at that. Perhaps I shouldn't have started at the top, but I don't regret it for a moment! This wine was well balanced, full bodied, and wonderfully smooth with big fruit flavors, mellow tannins, and a long lovely finish. There is not much more to say, except this is definitely something to try if you want to sample some quality Cabernet from Chile, or anywhere.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Gartelmann Jessica Verdelho 2007

2008-06-01T22:43:00.005+10:00

Gartelmann is one of our favorite wineries in Hunter Valley. We visited it twice and enjoyed the visit both times. Their Verdelho wine, named Jessica, is a lively, fruity production. To me it had a grapefruit quality, if not quite the flavor, with a citrus start and slightly bitter accents, which I hazard to guess are the result of wine maturing in oak barrels. Strangely enough, this tartness on the finish was not unpleasant and accented a nice, more serious side of the wine. Overall a very enjoyable effort.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

Too much of a good thing

2008-05-31T17:36:00.019+10:00

One reason why we started this blog was to keep a record of wines that we like and don't like. Despite drinking wines in California and Australia for over 10 years, when we go to a restaurant, chances of encountering a wine we had and will remember are slim. During the last 10 years we probably sampled over 500 wines. So, this seems a bit surprising until you actually look up how many wines are produced. James Halliday's "Australian Wine Companion" 2008 edition boldly proclaims to have "Expert tasting notes for 5836 wines. [...] Profiles of 1740 wineries." This from Australia alone, a country of 21 million people! To add to the picture, as I type these words I am drinking a very tasty Gartelmann 2007 Jessica Verdelho, which is not even mentioned in Halliday's book. As I was pondering this, I came across a very interesting talk given by Barry Schwartz at TED conference.

Schwartz makes a number of interesting points. Too much choice may cause more distress than happiness. We suffer from what some term "paralysis by analysis". Once the decision is made, we are never certain if this was the best one. This leads to lesser satisfaction and often self-blame. Now take into account the number of wineries in the world, and the fact that each produces at least one wine. Wine web claims to maintain "[...] a directory of over 34,000 wineries from around the world". No wonder with such a vast array of choices we often feel perplexed and undereducated in selecting the right wine.

I love the smell of Nepal pepper in the morning!

2008-05-25T18:06:00.013+10:00

While tasting a Napa Valley rose, Gary Vaynerchuk asks Conan O'Brien "Do you get a bit of melon, later? Watermelon action on the nose?" Conan replies nonchalantly "OK, I'll pretend I do." This is a situation many can relate to. Wine experts detect in wines dark chocolate, licorice, cherries and plums, claim they are loaded with candy or have hints of butter and honeycomb, can smell oregano and blackberry, etc., and so on. Regular wine drinkers plunge their noses into oversized glasses, take a deep breath, close their eyes, strain their senses and conclude that the liquid smells ... like wine.

How can this be, how is it that a wine expert detects this plethora of smells, while we mere mortals seem to be missing out on all the fun? Researchers from New Zealand, Wendy V. Parr, David Heatherbell and K. Geoffrey White, decided to find out what differentiates a nose of an expert from that of a novice. In their paper, entitled "Demystifying Wine Expertise: Olfactory Threshold, Perceptual Skills and Semantic Memory in Expert and Novice Wine Judges" the three researchers set out to find out if wine experts can:

Detect smells more easily than novices?
Identify smells better than novices?
Name odors more consistently than novices?

The surprise is that the answer to the first two questions is "no". When presented with smells, specifically selected to be wine related, neither the recognition nor the detection rates were better in wine experts than in wine novices:

[...] contrary to experimental hypotheses, there was no evidence of superior olfactory identification by experts [..] Nor was there an effect of expertise on consistency of labelling the wine relevant odorants.

However, experts could recall and name odors more consistently than novices even if names used did not match actual smells.

[...] for experts, consistent use of a name is more important than its 'objective' or veridical name in advantaging odour recognition.

To a cynic, this may suggest that as long as you claim that a given wine has "sun dried tomatoes & roasted peppers" aromas consistently (and confidently), you too can be a wine expert. Of course the consistency takes a lot of practice.

Arakoon Sellick Beach Shiraz 2005

2008-05-24T17:05:00.008+10:00

Dark, concentrated wine. Nice nose, typical of Australian shiraz and with some imagination hinting of plums and cherries. Noticeable but balanced tannins. A bit too much of what James Halliday, who scored this wine 94 out of 100, calls "oak support". Good finish, with no traces of bitterness. High alcohol content is discernible both on the nose and on the palate. Overall a good effort and well worth the price of about $18.00.

Rating: 6 out of 10

MIT Brew Redux

2008-05-19T22:22:00.005+10:00

While idling on YouTube I found a video of Dan Ariely. The title of the talk is "Why do placebos work?" In it, however, he mentions the MIT Brew experiment. Also pay close attention when he describes how the price of a "medication" had impact on its effectiveness. Sounds awfully close to how price of the wine affected the perception of its quality. Now, without further ado, Dan Ariely:

More videos can be found by searching for the terms predictably irrational.

Brokenwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

2008-05-18T09:29:00.009+10:00

We visited Brokenwood Winery in 2008. The winery, located near Pokolbin NSW, was started by James Halliday (of the Australian Wine Companion fame) and Len Evans, who purchased 10 acres of land near in Hunter Valley.

The first wine was produced in 1973. Nowadays, Brokenwood is known for its highly rated Graveyard Shiraz. However, we settled for a less pricey alternative. This wine wins the the title of the wine with the most grape varieties coming from the most regions ... out of the wines described so far. Its main ingredient is Cabernet Sauvignon, softened with some Merlot. A dash of Petit Verdot was added to firm up color. All these grapes come from Beechworth, King Valley and McLaren Vale. At 14% alcohol content, it has some vigor, though it does not overwhelm the wine. Solid effort and a pleasant wine to drink.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Robert Mondavi and the science of tasting

2008-05-17T17:58:00.012+10:00

On May 16, 2008 Robert Mondavi died at the age of 94. He was known for his Napa Valley winery, and a large selection of wines, from $10 Merlots to high end, reserved wines. He also entered a joint venture with Baron Philippe De Rothschild S.A. to create ultra premium winery Opus One. There are many articles about his life and death and I neither hope nor will I attempt to contribute something original or unique to what already has been written. However, Robert Mondavi has been credited with, from the point of view of this blog, an important contribution to the wine industry. When he started his wine business, he put his wines up against French vintages in blind tastings, and thus introduced this method of scoring wines to Napa Valley.

There are three basic protocols when tasting wine. In an open tasting, the region, maker, and other information is known to judges. This may impact their assessment and bias the score based on the reputation of the region, wine maker, etc. In a single-blind tasting, the information that could bias judges, such as the maker of the wine, is withheld. However, the experimenter is present. In some cases, the region of the wine is known, with judges tasting wines from Bordeaux or Napa or Sonoma regions. In double-blind tasting, both the information and the experimenter are removed. In practical terms, it means that the person who pours wines has no idea what he or she is serving. This way, they can't influence, willingly or not, the judges with clues such as raised eyebrows, held breath, etc.

At the time Mondavi started his venture, French wines held an unassailable position. California was not the respected wine producing region it is nowadays; thus Mondavi's best chance was to remove the bias that many critics held. By doing so, he not only showed his wines to be competitive, but introduced a practice that improved the wine industry for all of us.

RockBare Shiraz 2005

2008-05-15T19:00:00.000+10:00

It was another TGIAF, where 'A' stands for 'Almost', as this event takes place on Thursdays. Knowing that this will provide me with an opportunity to taste some wine, I sneaked into the kitchen area and put a bottle of 2005 RockBare Shiraz in the fridge. This is because the offices are kept at cozy 20+°C, and I rather dislike warm wine (a post about "room temperature" is coming up!). 45 min in the fridge and the Shiraz was at the recommended 18°C and ready for the tasting. First off, this wine has a high alcohol content - 15%! But to the producer's credit it is nicely balanced. On the nose you smell typical liquorice and cherry aromas. When tasted, there is an intense fruit, full body and a nice finish, complemented by firm, yet not too potent tannins. The wine is in-your-face, with not much subtlety. Overall, a good effort and at $16 or so dollars, worth every penny.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

Brilliant glassware, dim mind?

2008-05-11T23:14:00.010+10:00

Adding lead oxide to molten glass creates lead crystal, known for its brilliance and a beautiful tone. Lead content varies, though at 35% the glass has the most sparkle. Yet, as lead crystal is softer than a regular glass and thus subject to damage even from regular dust, typically lower lead content, around 24%, is used.

The discovery of lead crystal around the year 1676, also known as flint glass, is attributed to George Ravenscroft. Initially lead was added to eliminate defects in glassware. As adding lead oxide make glass easier to cut, the early 1700s saw an explosion of glasshouses specializing in the art of crystal cutting. Nowadays, a number of world renown companies specialize in crystal glassware. Some of the most beautiful glasses and decanters are made from lead crystal, as illustrated by this spectacular Amadeo decanter from Riedel.

Yet, there is a less brilliant side to this story. Increased levels of lead in blood may cause neurological damage, renal disease, cardiovascular defects, and reproductive toxicity. In 1991, Dr. Joseph H. Graziano and Dr. Conrad Blum published a paper in the medical journal The Lancet (vol 337, no 8734, pp. 141-142) about hazards of lead leaching from glass to beverages stored in crystal containers. They found out for example, that brandies stored in lead crystal for more than five years accumulated 19,900 to 21,500 µg/l lead. The EPA standard for drinking water is 50 µg/l. Another study, published in December 1992, in the American Journal of Public Health (vol 82, no. 12, pp. 1671–1673) studied the accumulation of lead in decanters from 14 different manufacturers. The found out that lead concentration starts increasing within minutes and rapidly climbs within the first 24 hours. The authors calculated that drinking, say, white port stored in crystal decanters can lead to consumption of lead per day that exceeds 8 to 120 times that recommended by health standards in California. Their conclusion was that "[t]he consumption of alcoholic beverages stored in lead crystal decanters is judged to pose a hazard." Or as Graziano contends, consuming beverages stored in crystal glass would be "stupid."

Tyrrell's Lost Block Merlot 2005

2008-05-11T20:15:00.009+10:00

Last Saturday we were invited to a wedding. The wedding took place in a spectacular location, near Wentworth Falls, NSW on the grounds of Yester Grange Estate.

Generally, when invited to weddings and such, I neither expect nor usually experience good wine. These occasions are about friends, good company and celebrations. In addition, having to provide wine for 50+ people usually means that cheaper, just passable wines are served. Happily this was not the case. True to my convictions I grabbed a glass of red wine and sampled it without knowing either the maker, the type of the grape or the price. The wine had a very agreeable taste, with solid, yet well rounded tannins. It had a nice black currant aroma that initially made me think that I was tasting a classic Cabernet. A nice, long finish with no traces of bitterness and a well-balanced body completed the overall very pleasant experience.

Upon sitting at the table I finally saw the bottle. It turned out that my guess about this being a Cabernet was off, but not by too much as we were served a Merlot. Those who are familiar with the movie Sideways know that Merlot took a beating. As a consequence it is often a grape that offers the best bargains. The wine retails for about $17.00 and at this price it is a steal. The winery, Tyrrell, is known for its high quality wines and a few premium and ultra-premium wines. While it gets top rating for its Semillon and Chardonnay, it proved, at least to us, that it knows a thing or two about making high quality Merlot.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Same wine, two results

2008-05-11T18:25:00.009+10:00

Frédéric Brochet, a French researcher from the University of Bordeaux, conducted a wine tasting experiment in which 57 subjects tasted what they thought were two different wines, while in fact only one wine was served. The first time the wine was described as an ordinary table wine (vine de table). In the European Union it is meant to designate the lowest quality level of wine produced. The second time the wine was described as a prestigious wine (Grands Cru classé). The "two" wines were scored using a number of terms describing the subjects' experience. Some terms were positive, such as agreeable, complex, balanced, good, excellent, flavorsome, etc. Others were negative and included light, unbalanced, weak, flat, simple, volatile and similar. The same wine was judged as "balanced" by 65% of subjects, when introduced as prestigious, but only 36% of participants viewed it as such when they thought they had sampled a table wine. The term "premiere" was used 74% vs 26%. The word "complex" appeared 73% for the "GCC" sample, and only 27% for the "VTD" sample. And naturally, the roles were reversed when negative terms were considered. "Light" was mentioned 25% vs 75%. "Unbalanced" appeared in 17% of reviews, vs 83%. The sample was described to have a "sting" 21% vs 79%. Brochet summarized that "chemo-sensorial information is in fact 20 times less important and 10 times slower than visual information". In plain language, what we hear and see impacts our perception 20 times more and 10 times faster than what we taste. Finally, you might be amused to learn than the 57 subjects employed by Brochet were not some laymen, but wine experts.

Ninth Island Pinot Noir 2007

2008-05-08T17:25:00.011+10:00

In all fairness this wine had no time to mature. Yet this Pinot, produced by Pipers Brook Vineyard, was a letdown. It retails for over $20, but does not even come close to other $20 wines we had. It has firm, yet not offensive tannins, decent balance and solid body. However, the bitter finish that lingers in your mouth long after a sip spoils the experience. Comparing to the $20 Pinot we used in double blind tasting against Ata Rangi, this wine disappoints.

Rating: 3 out of 10

MIT Brew

2008-05-05T21:08:00.014+10:00

Dan Ariely and his colleagues did an interesting experiment about beer tasting. While not as refined (snobbish?) as wine tasting, beer has its share of enthusiasts and connoisseurs. The experiment, as described in his book, Predictably Irrational, asked patrons of Muddy Charles Pub to taste two brands of beer. One a regular beer, either a Budweiser or Samuel Adams, and one called MIT Brew. The trick was that MIT Brew was just the original beer, plus a drop of balsamic vinegar per ounce of beer. People who tasted "two" beers without knowing the ingredients that went into MIT Brew preferred beer with vinegar. People who were told in advance insisted that they could taste the vinegar in MIT Brew. Interestingly, if people tasted the beer and were then told what went into each glass, they showed far less prejudice against MIT Brew.

The experiment shows that we can be significantly influenced by our expectations. This works both ways. If one presents a wine to be "a truly magnificent production, bold, with aromas of chocolate and ripe cherries, complemented by powerful yet well rounded tannins, and a long, smooth finish" we are more likely to find such a wine appealing than "a red house wine". However, as Ariely's experiment showed, the timing of disclosure matters. So next time, if you are offered a taste of wine, do so without knowing what you are tasting or how much it cost. Chances are that the glass of, say, Opus One, might be not as enticing as the maker would have us believe.

Tatler's The Sticky

2008-05-04T20:42:00.009+10:00

Usually we don't drink dessert wines. They sure taste delicious in a winery, but then one never has the right time or occasion to drink it. A number of times in the past we purchased dessert wines only to let them go bad in the fridge, after having a single sip. Fortunately, this was not the story with Tatler's The Sticky. The Sticky, unlike many dessert wines, is not loaded with sugar. It definitely is not a dry wine, but does not feel overwhelmingly sweet. It is very fruity, retaining typical characteristics of semillion. The wine balances its sweetness with nice acidity, making it an enjoyable treat. One of the better efforts that we came across.

Rating: 7 out of 10

D'Arenberg's Footbolt Shiraz 2000

2008-05-04T19:30:00.011+10:00

D'Arenberg is one of these wineries that produces high quality wines regardless of the price. While Footbolt shiraz is not even close to their flagship red wine, The Dead Arm Shiraz, it is a high quality production. It is a full bodied, bold shiraz, with what industry calls nicely rounded tannins (which basically means that the wine has a typical red wine bite, but won't feel like a paint strip on your tongue). As it is matured in French oak, it gets a dark licorice (or chocolate, depending on your imagination) taste. This wine brings typical characteristics of South Australian shirazes, without breaking the bank. We tasted the 2000 vintage, which means it had plenty of time to mature (and also go up in price to $30, from a typical $17 charged for the latest vintage). While we both enjoyed this wine, it came just a notch under Te Kairanga, and hence the rating.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Double blind tasting

2008-04-27T14:49:00.014+10:00

Antonio Rangel and his colleagues found out that the same wine tastes better if its stated price is higher. A group of 20 volunteers were given what they thought were 5 wines to taste and score. The catch was that they were really given 3 wines, with two wines used twice in the experiment. The wines that were used twice were labeled with a real price (say, $90 for wine 2) and a made up price ($10). The participants consistently scored the higher priced version of the wine as better tasting than the lower priced version. Basically, people expected the pricier wine to be better. This is congruent with what Dan Ariely described in his book Predictably Irrational when describing his beer tasting challenge (more on it in a separate post).

To avoid this mistake, Jill and I decided to have some fun with wine tasting, unpolluted by expectations. We had two wines, a top of the line Pinot Noir, Ata Rangi 2004, which is priced at about $65.00, and your average run of the mill $20 Pinot Noir, also from New Zealand (sadly, the name escapes me at the moment). These were poured into two distinct decanters by Jill, 4 hours before a party. During the party I poured two wines into two glasses to anybody who wanted to take part in the experiment. Not knowing which wine was in which decanter, I could not influence people's perception. To make it even more thorough, Jill was not present during pouring or tasting. Here is the surprise - at the end of this experiment 3 out of 3 tasters, one of which was me, stated that the better wine was what turned out to be the $20 pinot. I am convinced that if the wine brands were known to us, the verdict would have been just the opposite.

Hardys Tintara Grenache 2003

2008-04-26T19:02:00.006+10:00

Hardys Grenache, which retails for about $35.00, was sold to us as a bold, full bodied grenache, that can be categorized as the new world fruit bomb. Sadly, it is not. Even though James Halliday scores it 93 points, we found this rating undeserving. It is pleasant enough, but the fruit component is not in the "bomb" range. It seems to be overwhelmed by what could be described as a licorice taste that hides the alleged aromas of plums and mulberries. While in itself a decent wine, it does not deserve the rating nor the price for which it retails.

Rating: 5 out of 10.

Te Kairanga Reserve Pinot Noir 2005

2008-04-26T18:34:00.008+10:00

Quite often it is said that a good pinot has a smell of a wet dog. Now, who, in their sane mind, would find that smell appealing? Fortunately, Te Kairanga Reserve Pinot does not smell (nor taste) like a wet dog. It has a rather pleasant, though somewhat mild taste. It has a nice balance, medium body, and a smooth finish that tastes rather refined. It retails for about $50.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Capercaillie Hunter Valley Semillon 2002

2008-04-26T02:09:00.005+10:00

Capercaillie is considered to be one of the top wineries in Hunter Valley. Judging by its semillon, the rating is deserved. This wine just burst with fruit, and exhibits nice balance. As the alcohol content is low (10.7%) you can enjoy a glass or two without getting tipsy. A good buy at $25.

Rating: 7 out of 10