"At Winophilia, we’re not armchair tasters who pretend to speak knowledgeably about regions we’ve never visited. We’re not amateur bloggers whose coverage of wine is limited to a handful of random samples we’ve just received, a trade tasting we’ve attended, or a press junket we’ve just been treated to. We live wine. Each of us spends several weeks to several months on the road each year, visiting wineries and tasting thousands of wines annually with their makers. And that’s not even including the thousands of bottles we taste each year in our own dining rooms."The whole page can be seen here. I personally don't think what he or any one of his staff members wrote is untrue, but I'm not especially concerned here with the veracity of his statements. What I have a problem with, is the tone and the smallness of mind in regards to the intent. If the only way you can make yourself feel bigger and more important is to make others seem smaller, inferior or irrelevant, then I have to say with no reservations, "I have no respect for you." Quite frankly, when someone takes this route, it says to me that they are insecure and small minded, and I can not understand what could make Mr. Tanzer doubt his credibility or ability. I've always found him to be an excellent subscription based wine reviewer.
I don't have an "About Me" page, and I probably should. If mine were to resemble the one at Winophilia, however, it would go something like this.
I started this post last night and since then, Megan/Sonadora over on Wannabe Wino also has something to say on this subject and other interesting matters as well. As I finish this up, I also notice that, Stephen Tanzer has edited his "About Winophilia" Page. The removal of "At Winophilia, we’re not armchair tasters who pretend to speak knowledgeably about regions we’ve never visited. We’re not amateur bloggers whose coverage of wine is limited to a handful of random samples we’ve just received, a trade tasting we’ve attended, or a press junket we’ve just been treated to." makes all the difference in the world in how the remaining reads. Bravo! Mr. Tanzer I may have more respect for you than I did before all this started. Cheers!
My intention with this blog is to share my thoughts and reviews of wine and occasionally the wine industry with any one who cares to listen. I strive to be entertaining and informative and I hope to turn at least one person on to a wine they have never tried.
I work in the wine trade at the retail level, albeit, part-time. Currently my main job is owning my own small Professional Gardening company, which, perhaps, is a fancy way of saying I am a landscaper who doesn't cut lawns. I am a Certified Specialist in Wine. I am considering working towards the Masters of Wine program and I am currently taking courses under two Masters of Wine at Boston University.
I occasionally look at a handful of wine publications and reviews. Unlike these reviewers, I don't get paid to write about wine, either from subscription fees or from advertisers whose product I am reviewing. I hardly ever visit wineries and meet with their owners as I feel their charming personalities or expansive estates may cloud my opinion of their wines. I sample 1000's of wines each year and I strive to try them in my dining room with food as much as I can. I don't pretend to know everything about wine. I don't inherently believe that anything I say about a bottle of wine is a universally undisputed truth. I believe that each bottle I try represents a moment in time spent with that specific bottle and anyone else's experience may differ. I don't utilize the 100 point scale because I feel it has, unintentionally, created an army of zombie like wine consumers with an obsessive need for 90 point wines or above. I don't employ a staff of tasters, I do this all myself because I love wine.
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I too am glad he removed that...to me it only made him look small.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that wasn't the initial impetus for my post, it just got brought along for the ride as I saw it while I was writing about something tangentially related.
As far as I'm concerned, it's the internet...it's free, and there's plenty of room for each and every one of us to do our own thing for whatever purpose you might wish. For me, it's my hobby. I don't have pets, kids, I'm not an athlete, and my craftiness is limited to things made with corks...so wine blogging fills my (limited) spare time.
Well, I for one, would say that your (limited) spare time is well spent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the internet is free and quite vast and there should be room for everyone, in principle. But, I wonder, are there enough eyes and minds out there for everyone's blog? It comes down to whether or not you care if anyone reads your blog. Would you still write yours if no one read it? I think you might. Someone like Steven Tanzer probably wouldn't. This is one reason there is elbowing and shoving and childish sniping and folks telling others what they should and shouldn't write.
I imagine some people went and saw Julie and Julia and thought, "Wow, if I write a blog I may get a book deal, or maybe even a movie deal!" These people aren't necessarily doing what they love, but they are going to say and do childish things to make others look inferior to them, so they can "win".
I blog because I like to, just like you. Of course, if I give up on blogging maybe you could teach me to make crafty things from corks.
Cheers!
Obviously not all bloggers are as qualified as Steven Tanzer but I think that is exactly what makes them potentially interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy yearly tasting ticker is in the 500+ range. I too work in a retail environment which gives me a different perspective than a "professional" critic. I sometimes taste with winemakers and sometimes not and yes tasting with them can influence your opinion.
Tasting thousands of wines a year, on site and with the winemaker makes it difficult to "keep it real" for the average consumer. Mr. Tanzer does a great job of this, some of his peers - not so much. Sometimes a less professional but more grounded perspective is in order.
I agree with all your points. The subject that I touch upon in my truthful yet sarcastic "About Me" blurb, and you also make mention of is; tasting with winemakers does/can influence how you feel about a wine is something that I have thought about for some time, yet I don't hear much discussion about it. Which is better? Tasting blind and far away from the source or tasting with folks who made or had something to do with the wine? When I mean "better" I don't mean to qualify exactly, but, in terms of an honest or real opinion of a wine which one is more valuable to a consumer? I don't think this question has a definitive answer, various people will have various opinions on this. But it is food for thought. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI love your point about rarely meeting winemakers as their personalities might cloud your impression of the wine. I thought I was the only one who felt this way! It's a real problem for me. Winemakers are often such incredibly likeable characters, it's tough not to let that get in the way. Usually I fear giving the wine too much leeway when I like the winemaker and his/her story. However, I did once read a story on JancisRobinson.com about the proprietor of Mas de Daumas Gassac (a wine I quite like) being really rude to visitors, and I hesitate to ever buy the wine again.
ReplyDeleteSasha - I agree, winemakers, in general, seem to be very amiable people. I try to keep in mind that this may be their natural state, or it may be that they are "on the job" selling their wine or themselves. Yet, when tasting wines with their makers you can't help but feel that these are their children and they are proud of them. I am therefore mostly hesitant to criticize. I say "mostly" because, quite frankly, I've been known to stick my foot in my mouth on many occasions.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I am remembering this correctly, but wasn't Aimiee Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac the cantankerous Frenchman in the Mondovino movie? I think I have a bottle of the 2000 in my cellar. I may never look at it in the same way again.
All that said, I would add that every external influence visited upon you while drinking a wine plays a part in how you feel about it. The company, the mood, the food, perhaps the music all play a role in the enjoyment of the wine. At least this is true for me.