I think wine experts or people with knowledge of wine is great. There's so many different wines, that I, as a wine drinker cannot tastes all the wines. I like being able to tell someone what I like and they can make suggestions based on the information I give them.
I work for a large retailer.. I’ve found a majority of my customers are not interested in a story but interested in flavor.. A wine consultant is able to push some customers to expand the customer knowledge and thus, their palat/emotion. Ronaldo’s remarks were more applicable to my experience. LOVE YOUR CONTENT 😎👍
A great video! One thing that I like is they are extremely friendly about answering consumers questions. It's part of a sommelier's job, and we as consumers need to stop being afraid to ask questions. From what may be silly, to serious, they are there to help you. Yes some, not all, may come off as snobbish, but majority are not and will gladly help you. So don't be afraid to ask the questions! Keep the videos coming!!
I am happy You have met the friendly ones, unfortunately not all are that nice. I am also very fortunate as those who I know are very down to earth and knowledgeable. 🥰
I met Raimonds when he was the president of the jury of the Portuguese national sommelier competition 2 years ago. He is a very nice guy and showed a mind-boggling knowledge.
I like the idea of emotion taking the wine to another level. Einstein asserted that time is the fourth dimension. I alway felt then that emotion must be the fifth dimension. Enjoyed your video very much. And your guests both seem to have one important quality, they are modest.
Wow, how beautifully said. I never thought about it that way. Yes, Raimonds and Ronalds are very modest, but they are also very strict, two qualities I like in people. 🥂
Thank you for this video. I appreciate hearing from them. I think it is true that most consumers really don't care about all the details about the wine. they just want wine to enjoy. What I find is that in most places (stores, restaurants), it is really hard to find someone that has any knowledge about the wine. It is hard when I know more about wine than the server, when I ask for a recommendation, for example. I'm not a trained expert, but I love to explore and know enough about acidity, tannin, etc to ask questions
As Ronalds said, these professionals are expensive for the business, and not always it can be justified to have them on the floor. And often, they do not want to work the long hours. That is the huge problem currently in the hospitality industry. 🥹
Wow, this vid has triggered an interesting debate! WRT "emotion" in wine, as an enthusiastic wine amateur, I very often open 2 or 3 wines at the same time. I know what wines they are, but first taste them blind. Then after the "reveal" re-taste them, then drink them with supper. The "quality" of the wine does not get better, or worse, when I learn the "back story" or provenance of the wine - but my "enjoyment" is potentially enhanced! I guess rather like looking at a beautiful object (e.g. statue, painting etc) - its artistic merit is evident and factual, but knowing its history, enhances one's appreciation? I expect a wine expert to assess a wine's quality, and, if of interest, tell a story about it. And, to inform, if the wine's style could be viewed as "challenging". I remember a couple in my village, who on the first Christmas without the children, treated themselves to a very expensive bottle of red wine. They were very disappointed - what was the wine? Barolo. A wine expert, knowing the client, might well have recommended something more approachable?
Hi Agnes You're keeping dogging lovely and amazingly in your wine journey, and with that, we, as your listeners, are drinking so nicely your words and work Great job Cheers 🥂
Having worked in wine retail and occasionally on the floor in restaurants I have to agree with Ronalds. This is a commercial transaction and a good salesman will always generate more sales than an expert who cannot close the sale. In my experience being able to qualify the customer and determine what they will probably enjoy is paramount. Most importantly I didn’t sell anyone wine that I thought they would not like, or was flawed in some way that is amoral.
You make an excellent point here. I do think that we should not sell flawed wine, of course. However, not selling wine that I personally don’t like, is a bit different. I might not like Primitivo or Nebbiolo, but if a guest would explain to me the style they would prefer, and these styles would be perfect offer, I would definitely suggest it, even though I might not enjoy them myself. We all do not have the same preferences in the wine styles. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
So could it be that the wine professionals would like more grippy wines in terms of minerality, acidity and fuityness? I would guess it because you are able to dive deeply into the wines. For my part as well I like that style. The only problem I have is the sensoric training and background. Hopefully in the near future I will be able to start my professional career in wine. Therefore it would be great if you would make videos in which you describe the whole theme of for example how I need to prepare myself when it comes to blind tastings. The background of the different grape varieties and what are there lead aromas. For example how can I diferenciate between a Chenin Blanc, a Riesling, a grüner Veltliner and so on. Thanks for the very informative video. With the best wishes
It actually seems that way, that wine professionals have developed taste for bone dry, high acid and tannic wines. I don’t think it is because we have deeper knowledge, but because we have developed our tastes over time. Naturally everyone will have preference to sweeter, rounder tastes in the beginning. BUT in one of my latest podcast episodes my guest Aigars Nords points out that wine should be super-drinkable, if it is too intellectual 🧐 forget it! And I so, so resonate with that. Too acid driven wines without balance of the fruit, just for the sake of being dry - makes no sense for me and gives me no pleasure.
@@NoSediment yes I agree with that. Even that I don't have any certification and study which I would count as "professional" taste and skills I developed my taste to dry wines with a vivid acid level and mineral driven wines. I'm also very interested in the Pet Nats, natural sparkling wines, Orange wines. And if you dive deep in the market you are able to hunt very good and affordable wines without cost an entire salary. But I want to advance my knocklage as well with studys. I hope I'm able to jump into the pool next year. Maybe I can start working for chilenan wine estate with the production of 100% natural wines without any use of chemicals.
I love an expert who can show me the funkiest and darkest most unknown corners of the wine world. I sometimes go to a wine shop and ask them that and they don’t know what to answer. So then I have to fall back on my bucket list or to search for my own for something I never drank before … 😂🤷♂️
You are a rare gem, usually people prefer to make safe choices. 🥂 and that is fine as well. But when we see someone who is willing to explore, we get very excited. 😝
@@NoSediment Seriously though. I love your content mostly because a good percentage of the wines you feature I don’t have a problem finding. Some other channels suggest wines that are made exclusively in some sherpas barn on a remote mountain in Nepal and then they say “you should really get some of this“. I took your tip on La Magia Brunello di Montalcino and it might be my favorite Brunello ever. Thanks again.
Hahaha, that is not true. First of all drinking and tasting - two things completely. And the second, there is a lot of knowledge, books and analysis that goes into wine studies. Of course, it is alcohol, but studying wine doesn’t mean getting drunk.
Fun discussion! I am totally on-board with Raimonds regarding PEOPLE should be the ones guiding wine enthusiasts, NOT A.I. FYI, Raimonds resembles Beavis (from "Beavis and Butthead" cartoon), albeit a very sophisticated and knowledge one.😂🤣
A lot of what's going on here is a kind of cognitive gymnastics that centres on a question we frequently bump into in this zeitgeist. It's to do with postmodernism and the claim that anyone's opinions and feelings about anything is just as valid to the collective as anyone else's. In short, 3 IRL examples: A signed urinal is just as good art as a Rembrandt, a different interpretation of a word is just as valid as the one in the dictionary, or what a MW thinks about a wine is not more important than what a beginner thinks. To figure out if this is true or not can be challenging, especially as popular notion tells you one thing and real life experience tells you another. I believe the fundamental question is the following: If everything we experience is interpreted by a single subjective brain, how can anything rightfully mean the same to others? *And more importantly: Why should it?* If you can answer that, you don't have to torment yourself anymore with this mind worm. And if it's not clear by my last words, for the sake of transparency: I reject postmodern relativism. This is essentially an authoritative stance.
I think You spark more debate here, and most definitely I cannot answer short on any of Your questions. But that again is why I love debating so much. This is where to look for the truth, for example, I love how through our discussion Ronalds ended up slightly changing his opinion on wine experts and their role in the wine shop. 🙌🙌🙌
@@NoSediment You don't have to answer me, but you should consider answering yourselves. There's freedom, peace and confidence in it :) Gather your guys there on a slow evening and go through it. Once you arrive at the conclusion that things like insight, work, maturity and expertise does in fact generate a form of authority (which I'm sure you will, how else would you explain parenting for example), you can focus on how best to manage your authority, rather than questioning if it even exists in the first place. Voila! :)
Like most things... it depends. Mostly of our own personal background and experience and how deep we are into the experience. 25 year ago I didn't know much and had a lot of certainties... these days I have a wealth of knowledge and have very little certainties ;)
I listened to one famous wine podcast, interview with a winemaking consultant, and every single answer he would start with: “It depends.” To a point where they both would be laughing. But the fun part is that- it is really true. It depends!
@@NoSediment Absolutely, its a ever-changing sensorial landscape. This couple weeks alone I discovered a whole new style of monovarietal wine (Tinta de Toro, extremely high alcohol content (15-17%) with a smoothness that I've previously only found in South Douro's Bafarelas), Alvarinho for the first time in a Rosé wine (mixed at a 15%-to-85% ratio with Espadeiro in a very small producer in Celorico de Basto), new ways of getting Botrytis cinerea into a grape in Italy ( in the shape of the Orvieto Classico Muffa Nobile DOC Pourriture Decugnano dei Barbi, who as the most concise wine name ever) and drank the first wines made from super-clones of Graciano and Tempranillo that finally deliver on the promise to deal with water restriction without affection wine quality while having very slight production output drops (something that 5 years ago I would dismiss as mumbo-jumbo but after tasting them it really looked like something attainable) and saw how adding certain yeast cells during winemaking can tremendously reduce TCA concentration in wine, which is one the banes of the industry for millennia. Something that makes me think that wine is one of the most traditional fields in agriculture while being the most ever-changing fields in agriculture.
@@NoSediment Thought I've answered this comment but my comment isn't showing up so I'll paraphrase it to the best of my ability. There's always things to discover in the wine world although "tradition" is splashed around like gold dust. There's there new TCA yeast treatments, I just realized how different from all Tempranillo cultivars Tinta de Toro is, specially when you so to those 100+ years vines, there's new ways to drink Alvarinho in the sub-region of Basto in the Vinhos Verdes region (namely Rosé mixed with Espadeiro and new clones that have even more complexity than the ones developed by Anselmo Mendes in Melgaço) and all this I found out in the last 2 weeks alone. There's always something different, there's always something brewing ;)
I depends on the topic. If we are talking about preferences, of course. Of we are talking about winemaking, pH, oak ageing and quality (at least fault wise) there is science involved. 😇
@@NoSediment Yes. You are totally correct. And I agree with the production complexities that come with making anything. But. The end product is all the consumer cares about. And how they spend their hard earned money Whether I buy a Tom Ford suit or a pair of Levi’s. All I care about is ‘do I like this?’ Sure. There will be a population out there that does care about the production of the product. But that is a very very small minority.
@jasonkrick1614 I do hope that in the future there will be more people who care. As I want to choose wine that was made with respect to nature and environment, with sustainability in mind so that it (vineyard) can continue to make such a great wine for a generations to come. 🙏🏻 Cheers and thank You for Your comment, and watching the video. 🥂
I decided to drink up all my dry Chenins (all by Huet of different vintages and vineyards) because I am not seeing any development - the wines that spent over a decade in the cellar seemed the same to me as the wines from the most recent vintage. Perhaps they will eventually evolve after 50 years, but I certainly don't care about it. Currently, the acid levels overwhelm everything else and the wines can be enjoyed only with such hefty food as roasted fatty salmon or similar.
Hahahah, I was going to say - isn’t it a good thing? And then I read Your comment until the end. 😅 I still think Chenin is amazing grape variety, when done correctly, and Huet is one of the top producers. 😎
Hmmm. Expert. Great question. There is the rule of 100 that says if you spend at least 100 hours a year on a specific topic you have more knowledge than 95% of the people in the world. Is that an expert? Well, I’ve spent hundreds of hours every year for the last 5 years on my certifications, reading dozens of books, I subscribe to and read multiple trade publications on the business of wine along with the ubiquitous tasting magazines, I enjoy studying for pleasure and I’ve tried over 375 different grapes that have been made into wine from across the world and I am part of a weekly tasting group. After all this, the only thing I am 100% sure of is, the more I know, I’ve learned how little I know. I never say to anyone that I’m an expert. Wine is a life long learning experience. Wine education is very personal, what are the persons goals? How can they get the information they want in the method they want. It’s up to them. Wine has only one purpose, to bring its drinker pleasure. Great topic.
I think reading alone might mean someone is an expert. It also requires real life experience in the industry. As I mentioned in the video, I study wine, but when I go and talk with the winemakers, for example, very often they will offer completely different perspective. Reading on wine and tasting wine, I do think, opens horizons and widens the world in general. 🥂 Cheers and thank You for the comment.
Honestly, it depends which target drinkers are you catering to. With respect, most of these experts when they speak they address the audiance as if everyone has a degree in sommelier and can understand what they are speaking. For example, they tend to speak about the same terms but no hollistic comparison between wines. Its always ohh this wine is different then the 2000s. There is no way in the public market we can get to compare that. That is why i like your series and wine follies, u compare grapes to the styles. Sangiovese (brunello, rosso montalcino, chianti etc) thats what makes people attracted to it. Like these whole james sucking what not, it doesnt reflect the true quality. Its just a bench mark. So yes, wine experts commets means nothing to me because of the samples that they are talking
I actually completely understand what You are saying, and indeed, even wine experts do not the subtle differences between the vintages or single vineyards or plots of less known regions, so it is important to always keep in mind that, when explaining wine. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I recently tasted a wine which was rated, by highly published wine judge and writer, at 96 points. I was shocked as I would have maybe rated it 87 points. This wine was $50 plus. Couldn’t understand it.
At the end of this video, I think, Ronalds gave a good point. Maybe we should follow those wine experts with whom our taste preferences are similar. That way we will have less disappointments. 😅
@@NoSediment I appreciate what you are saying but i think there are certain things that are appreciated by all. Fragrance, mouth feel, acid balance, tannin structure, length. Maybe this judge could see something I couldn’t, I’m certainly open to understanding their thoughts on this particular wine.
these ratings are just moments of time, wine is always changing and evolving or devolving product, critic reviews wine 9 months ago, when you tasted it, wine has changed simnifically in 9 months. this is why most wine reviews are somewhat pointless on specific wines but useful in the context of producers or regions.
At my local Total Wine I bought bottles recommended by various staff and found 2 employees whose recommendations I really enjoyed. Then I kept buying more expensive and varied wines that they recommended. The palette is a funny thing and finding others with similar ones is important in my opinion.
OMG, I was laughing so much on this comment. In their defence, it was a very hot day in Riga, Latvia, and as Ronalds mentioned he does not tolerate heat that well. Same as me. 🙃
Where I appreciate expertise, it is putting together tastings. Give me 5 $20 wines that have something in common (same place, producer, varietal, etc) and 5 courses that pair well with them. I'd pay for that. Even where I've seen this works well, it is a passionate business owner or employee trying to justify doing a tasting they really want to do. I am not convinced a business out to make money should do this.
When I do tastings, I always think what would be fun for me and the customer. To discuss/present things that You do not feel passionate about, will not be interesting to anyone else, I think. 🤔
It difficult to recommend a $20 bottle I like better than a random $20 bottle, or a 92pt wine I like better than a random 92pt wine. To justify their salary, a wine expert at a store needs to recommend a $15 bottle I like better than a random $20 bottle, and I don't think that is possible.
Everything is fashion. Look at your own high school pictures. If a respectable person repeatedly tells you Riesling is good, Riesling will become good.
depends on the expert. some like robert parker are conservative and objective critics who can help ID QPR. then theres ppl like suckling who'll regularly throw 90+ on mediocre bland wines. then theres luca maroni who thinks everything is near perfect either bc hes corrupt or incompetent.
I best prefer Hugh Johnson way of judging wine’s quality - that is the first bottle to be emptied. And when You do (or attempt) tastings with several wines opened - You will see, that there are always bottles that are emptied first, and some always are last. 🤔
Wow, what a chilling discussion. Can we trust the opinions of wine experts? It seems the answer is absolutely not. It doesn't matter if the wine they tasted on their luxury trip to an over hyped vineyard was mediocre, grotesquely overpriced or downright bad, they will recommend it to us anyway with a fake 98/100 score because they are selling us "emotions". Oh, and they want to be invited back again and don't want to get a reputation for being difficult or critical.
Well, I hope You understand that this is not all of the wine experts. Like in any other industry, there are people who are passionate and You can trust them, and people who will want to have their own benefit. 🥹
You should try doing your homework and find a writer for which your palate aligns. It is so subjective...hence score fluctuation/what you like vs what they like.
No, not everyone. These people study, they pass exams, and next to that they have years of experience in the industry. It is completely different than simply reading books. As I mentioned in the video - I study, and then I go talk with winemakers, and learn what is what in real life. And as I said there, in many cases it is completely opposite. 😎
@@NoSediment If someone passes WSET Level 1, are they an expert? What if they pass a test no one heard of? Do businesses know which tests have real meaning? I am not familiar with wine certifications myself, but in other fields, if someone has a PhD, they call themselves "doctor". If they call themselves "expert" it usually means a lack of more specific qualifications.
@bradbellomo6896 I wouldn’t call WSET level 1 an expert, because it offers start in the knowledge, not expertise. And depending on which field of wine You choose to go, one can get PhD. The fact that enjoying wine is based on preferences and everyone at a certain age can do that, does not mean that there is nothing to study, explore or analyse. And wine world is way bigger than knowing grape varieties and regions of origin. 😉
All of you are frameworking/defining a certain phrasology which may succeed in the exam. Not necessary. Much of the best wine is drunk locally and those epithanies are achieved there. I feel you are going around in circles. See you in a bit
Your idea is quite dangerous, as it assumes that good wine can be sourced only within a winemaking country. What about those where winemaking is not possible? I do think great wine is available both locally and in the export markets. 🙏🏻
I think wine experts or people with knowledge of wine is great. There's so many different wines, that I, as a wine drinker cannot tastes all the wines. I like being able to tell someone what I like and they can make suggestions based on the information I give them.
I work for a large retailer.. I’ve found a majority of my customers are not interested in a story but interested in flavor..
A wine consultant is able to push some customers to expand the customer knowledge and thus, their palat/emotion. Ronaldo’s remarks were more applicable to my experience.
LOVE YOUR CONTENT 😎👍
Thank You. Yes, Ronalds brings to the conversation some very good marks, he is also my colleague (somm) whose opinion I always value highly.
This was such a wonderful and generous long-form conversation. Can't wait for more.
Thank You. There are more coming next months. 🙌🙌
A great video!
One thing that I like is they are extremely friendly about answering consumers questions. It's part of a sommelier's job, and we as consumers need to stop being afraid to ask questions. From what may be silly, to serious, they are there to help you. Yes some, not all, may come off as snobbish, but majority are not and will gladly help you. So don't be afraid to ask the questions!
Keep the videos coming!!
I am happy You have met the friendly ones, unfortunately not all are that nice. I am also very fortunate as those who I know are very down to earth and knowledgeable. 🥰
I met Raimonds when he was the president of the jury of the Portuguese national sommelier competition 2 years ago. He is a very nice guy and showed a mind-boggling knowledge.
Very sweet and very humble!
I like the idea of emotion taking the wine to another level. Einstein asserted that time is the fourth dimension. I alway felt then that emotion must be the fifth dimension.
Enjoyed your video very much. And your guests both seem to have one important quality, they are modest.
Wow, how beautifully said. I never thought about it that way. Yes, Raimonds and Ronalds are very modest, but they are also very strict, two qualities I like in people. 🥂
This was a wonderful, fascinating video!! It's so interesting listening to real wine experts.
Thank you for this video. I appreciate hearing from them. I think it is true that most consumers really don't care about all the details about the wine. they just want wine to enjoy. What I find is that in most places (stores, restaurants), it is really hard to find someone that has any knowledge about the wine. It is hard when I know more about wine than the server, when I ask for a recommendation, for example. I'm not a trained expert, but I love to explore and know enough about acidity, tannin, etc to ask questions
As Ronalds said, these professionals are expensive for the business, and not always it can be justified to have them on the floor. And often, they do not want to work the long hours. That is the huge problem currently in the hospitality industry. 🥹
Nice format. Bring the boys back !
Thank You, I think they both have a nice energy! 😉
Wow, this vid has triggered an interesting debate! WRT "emotion" in wine, as an enthusiastic wine amateur, I very often open 2 or 3 wines at the same time. I know what wines they are, but first taste them blind. Then after the "reveal" re-taste them, then drink them with supper. The "quality" of the wine does not get better, or worse, when I learn the "back story" or provenance of the wine - but my "enjoyment" is potentially enhanced! I guess rather like looking at a beautiful object (e.g. statue, painting etc) - its artistic merit is evident and factual, but knowing its history, enhances one's appreciation? I expect a wine expert to assess a wine's quality, and, if of interest, tell a story about it. And, to inform, if the wine's style could be viewed as "challenging". I remember a couple in my village, who on the first Christmas without the children, treated themselves to a very expensive bottle of red wine. They were very disappointed - what was the wine? Barolo. A wine expert, knowing the client, might well have recommended something more approachable?
Hi Agnes
You're keeping dogging lovely and amazingly in your wine journey, and with that, we, as your listeners, are drinking so nicely your words and work
Great job
Cheers
🥂
Thank You’ 🙏🏻
Interesting discussion with smart questions asked. Food for thought. Greetings from Lithuania/Sveicieni no Lietuvas ❤🍷.
Wow, thank You for watching. Happy You enjoyed this new format.
To me, I welcome an expert’s view of a wine, so that I can drink it in a “context”. Wine drinking is an emotional as well as a physical experience.
Thank You. I think Raimonds explained it absolutely beautifully in the video. 🙏🏻
Agnese you're the only true wine 🍷 🍾 expert 🎉 oh yes you are ❤😊
Having worked in wine retail and occasionally on the floor in restaurants I have to agree with Ronalds. This is a commercial transaction and a good salesman will always generate more sales than an expert who cannot close the sale. In my experience being able to qualify the customer and determine what they will probably enjoy is paramount. Most importantly I didn’t sell anyone wine that I thought they would not like, or was flawed in some way that is amoral.
You make an excellent point here. I do think that we should not sell flawed wine, of course. However, not selling wine that I personally don’t like, is a bit different. I might not like Primitivo or Nebbiolo, but if a guest would explain to me the style they would prefer, and these styles would be perfect offer, I would definitely suggest it, even though I might not enjoy them myself. We all do not have the same preferences in the wine styles. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Agree completely Agnese
So could it be that the wine professionals would like more grippy wines in terms of minerality, acidity and fuityness? I would guess it because you are able to dive deeply into the wines. For my part as well I like that style. The only problem I have is the sensoric training and background. Hopefully in the near future I will be able to start my professional career in wine. Therefore it would be great if you would make videos in which you describe the whole theme of for example how I need to prepare myself when it comes to blind tastings. The background of the different grape varieties and what are there lead aromas. For example how can I diferenciate between a Chenin Blanc, a Riesling, a grüner Veltliner and so on. Thanks for the very informative video. With the best wishes
It actually seems that way, that wine professionals have developed taste for bone dry, high acid and tannic wines. I don’t think it is because we have deeper knowledge, but because we have developed our tastes over time. Naturally everyone will have preference to sweeter, rounder tastes in the beginning. BUT in one of my latest podcast episodes my guest Aigars Nords points out that wine should be super-drinkable, if it is too intellectual 🧐 forget it! And I so, so resonate with that. Too acid driven wines without balance of the fruit, just for the sake of being dry - makes no sense for me and gives me no pleasure.
@@NoSediment yes I agree with that. Even that I don't have any certification and study which I would count as "professional" taste and skills I developed my taste to dry wines with a vivid acid level and mineral driven wines. I'm also very interested in the Pet Nats, natural sparkling wines, Orange wines. And if you dive deep in the market you are able to hunt very good and affordable wines without cost an entire salary. But I want to advance my knocklage as well with studys. I hope I'm able to jump into the pool next year. Maybe I can start working for chilenan wine estate with the production of 100% natural wines without any use of chemicals.
I love an expert who can show me the funkiest and darkest most unknown corners of the wine world. I sometimes go to a wine shop and ask them that and they don’t know what to answer. So then I have to fall back on my bucket list or to search for my own for something I never drank before … 😂🤷♂️
You are a rare gem, usually people prefer to make safe choices. 🥂 and that is fine as well. But when we see someone who is willing to explore, we get very excited. 😝
Great episode! A little man-sandal heavy but other than the mandals, very entertaining
OMG, I laughed so much, one of the best jokes I have heard! 😂😂😂
@@NoSediment Seriously though. I love your content mostly because a good percentage of the wines you feature I don’t have a problem finding. Some other channels suggest wines that are made exclusively in some sherpas barn on a remote mountain in Nepal and then they say “you should really get some of this“. I took your tip on La Magia Brunello di Montalcino and it might be my favorite Brunello ever. Thanks again.
I am self taught eg: "Over the years I have drunk myself into an educated state" 😉
Hahaha, that is not true. First of all drinking and tasting - two things completely. And the second, there is a lot of knowledge, books and analysis that goes into wine studies. Of course, it is alcohol, but studying wine doesn’t mean getting drunk.
@@NoSediment The best way to drink oneself into an educated state is with close friends where opinions can be shared and a common knowledge gained.
Fun discussion!
I am totally on-board with Raimonds regarding PEOPLE should be the ones guiding wine enthusiasts, NOT A.I.
FYI, Raimonds resembles Beavis (from "Beavis and Butthead" cartoon), albeit a very sophisticated and knowledge one.😂🤣
I just had to share Your comment with him. So, so funny! 😁
A lot of what's going on here is a kind of cognitive gymnastics that centres on a question we frequently bump into in this zeitgeist. It's to do with postmodernism and the claim that anyone's opinions and feelings about anything is just as valid to the collective as anyone else's. In short, 3 IRL examples: A signed urinal is just as good art as a Rembrandt, a different interpretation of a word is just as valid as the one in the dictionary, or what a MW thinks about a wine is not more important than what a beginner thinks.
To figure out if this is true or not can be challenging, especially as popular notion tells you one thing and real life experience tells you another. I believe the fundamental question is the following: If everything we experience is interpreted by a single subjective brain, how can anything rightfully mean the same to others? *And more importantly: Why should it?* If you can answer that, you don't have to torment yourself anymore with this mind worm.
And if it's not clear by my last words, for the sake of transparency: I reject postmodern relativism. This is essentially an authoritative stance.
I think You spark more debate here, and most definitely I cannot answer short on any of Your questions. But that again is why I love debating so much. This is where to look for the truth, for example, I love how through our discussion Ronalds ended up slightly changing his opinion on wine experts and their role in the wine shop. 🙌🙌🙌
@@NoSediment You don't have to answer me, but you should consider answering yourselves. There's freedom, peace and confidence in it :) Gather your guys there on a slow evening and go through it. Once you arrive at the conclusion that things like insight, work, maturity and expertise does in fact generate a form of authority (which I'm sure you will, how else would you explain parenting for example), you can focus on how best to manage your authority, rather than questioning if it even exists in the first place. Voila! :)
Like most things... it depends. Mostly of our own personal background and experience and how deep we are into the experience. 25 year ago I didn't know much and had a lot of certainties... these days I have a wealth of knowledge and have very little certainties ;)
I listened to one famous wine podcast, interview with a winemaking consultant, and every single answer he would start with: “It depends.” To a point where they both would be laughing. But the fun part is that- it is really true. It depends!
@@NoSediment Absolutely, its a ever-changing sensorial landscape. This couple weeks alone I discovered a whole new style of monovarietal wine (Tinta de Toro, extremely high alcohol content (15-17%) with a smoothness that I've previously only found in South Douro's Bafarelas), Alvarinho for the first time in a Rosé wine (mixed at a 15%-to-85% ratio with Espadeiro in a very small producer in Celorico de Basto), new ways of getting Botrytis cinerea into a grape in Italy ( in the shape of the Orvieto Classico Muffa Nobile DOC Pourriture Decugnano dei Barbi, who as the most concise wine name ever) and drank the first wines made from super-clones of Graciano and Tempranillo that finally deliver on the promise to deal with water restriction without affection wine quality while having very slight production output drops (something that 5 years ago I would dismiss as mumbo-jumbo but after tasting them it really looked like something attainable) and saw how adding certain yeast cells during winemaking can tremendously reduce TCA concentration in wine, which is one the banes of the industry for millennia.
Something that makes me think that wine is one of the most traditional fields in agriculture while being the most ever-changing fields in agriculture.
@@NoSediment Thought I've answered this comment but my comment isn't showing up so I'll paraphrase it to the best of my ability. There's always things to discover in the wine world although "tradition" is splashed around like gold dust. There's there new TCA yeast treatments, I just realized how different from all Tempranillo cultivars Tinta de Toro is, specially when you so to those 100+ years vines, there's new ways to drink Alvarinho in the sub-region of Basto in the Vinhos Verdes region (namely Rosé mixed with Espadeiro and new clones that have even more complexity than the ones developed by Anselmo Mendes in Melgaço) and all this I found out in the last 2 weeks alone.
There's always something different, there's always something brewing ;)
Every wine drinker is a wine expert in my opinion. Which is exactly that. Everything is an opinion when it comes to things like food and drink.
I depends on the topic. If we are talking about preferences, of course. Of we are talking about winemaking, pH, oak ageing and quality (at least fault wise) there is science involved. 😇
@@NoSediment Yes. You are totally correct. And I agree with the production complexities that come with making anything.
But. The end product is all the consumer cares about. And how they spend their hard earned money
Whether I buy a Tom Ford suit or a pair of Levi’s. All I care about is ‘do I like this?’
Sure. There will be a population out there that does care about the production of the product. But that is a very very small minority.
@jasonkrick1614 I do hope that in the future there will be more people who care. As I want to choose wine that was made with respect to nature and environment, with sustainability in mind so that it (vineyard) can continue to make such a great wine for a generations to come. 🙏🏻 Cheers and thank You for Your comment, and watching the video. 🥂
I decided to drink up all my dry Chenins (all by Huet of different vintages and vineyards) because I am not seeing any development - the wines that spent over a decade in the cellar seemed the same to me as the wines from the most recent vintage. Perhaps they will eventually evolve after 50 years, but I certainly don't care about it. Currently, the acid levels overwhelm everything else and the wines can be enjoyed only with such hefty food as roasted fatty salmon or similar.
Hahahah, I was going to say - isn’t it a good thing? And then I read Your comment until the end. 😅 I still think Chenin is amazing grape variety, when done correctly, and Huet is one of the top producers. 😎
Hmmm. Expert. Great question. There is the rule of 100 that says if you spend at least 100 hours a year on a specific topic you have more knowledge than 95% of the people in the world. Is that an expert? Well, I’ve spent hundreds of hours every year for the last 5 years on my certifications, reading dozens of books, I subscribe to and read multiple trade publications on the business of wine along with the ubiquitous tasting magazines, I enjoy studying for pleasure and I’ve tried over 375 different grapes that have been made into wine from across the world and I am part of a weekly tasting group. After all this, the only thing I am 100% sure of is, the more I know, I’ve learned how little I know. I never say to anyone that I’m an expert. Wine is a life long learning experience. Wine education is very personal, what are the persons goals? How can they get the information they want in the method they want. It’s up to them. Wine has only one purpose, to bring its drinker pleasure. Great topic.
I think reading alone might mean someone is an expert. It also requires real life experience in the industry. As I mentioned in the video, I study wine, but when I go and talk with the winemakers, for example, very often they will offer completely different perspective. Reading on wine and tasting wine, I do think, opens horizons and widens the world in general. 🥂 Cheers and thank You for the comment.
Honestly, it depends which target drinkers are you catering to. With respect, most of these experts when they speak they address the audiance as if everyone has a degree in sommelier and can understand what they are speaking. For example, they tend to speak about the same terms but no hollistic comparison between wines. Its always ohh this wine is different then the 2000s. There is no way in the public market we can get to compare that. That is why i like your series and wine follies, u compare grapes to the styles. Sangiovese (brunello, rosso montalcino, chianti etc) thats what makes people attracted to it.
Like these whole james sucking what not, it doesnt reflect the true quality. Its just a bench mark.
So yes, wine experts commets means nothing to me because of the samples that they are talking
I actually completely understand what You are saying, and indeed, even wine experts do not the subtle differences between the vintages or single vineyards or plots of less known regions, so it is important to always keep in mind that, when explaining wine. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I recently tasted a wine which was rated, by highly published wine judge and writer, at 96 points.
I was shocked as I would have maybe rated it 87 points. This wine was $50 plus.
Couldn’t understand it.
At the end of this video, I think, Ronalds gave a good point. Maybe we should follow those wine experts with whom our taste preferences are similar. That way we will have less disappointments. 😅
@@NoSediment I appreciate what you are saying but i think there are certain things that are appreciated by all.
Fragrance, mouth feel, acid balance, tannin structure, length.
Maybe this judge could see something I couldn’t, I’m certainly open to understanding their thoughts on this particular wine.
these ratings are just moments of time, wine is always changing and evolving or devolving product, critic reviews wine 9 months ago, when you tasted it, wine has changed simnifically in 9 months. this is why most wine reviews are somewhat pointless on specific wines but useful in the context of producers or regions.
At my local Total Wine I bought bottles recommended by various staff and found 2 employees whose recommendations I really enjoyed. Then I kept buying more expensive and varied wines that they recommended. The palette is a funny thing and finding others with similar ones is important in my opinion.
I love your channel, and these guys are interesting. But jeesh, you’re not at the beach guys. Put on some damn shoes.
OMG, I was laughing so much on this comment. In their defence, it was a very hot day in Riga, Latvia, and as Ronalds mentioned he does not tolerate heat that well. Same as me. 🙃
Where I appreciate expertise, it is putting together tastings. Give me 5 $20 wines that have something in common (same place, producer, varietal, etc) and 5 courses that pair well with them. I'd pay for that. Even where I've seen this works well, it is a passionate business owner or employee trying to justify doing a tasting they really want to do. I am not convinced a business out to make money should do this.
When I do tastings, I always think what would be fun for me and the customer. To discuss/present things that You do not feel passionate about, will not be interesting to anyone else, I think. 🤔
It difficult to recommend a $20 bottle I like better than a random $20 bottle, or a 92pt wine I like better than a random 92pt wine. To justify their salary, a wine expert at a store needs to recommend a $15 bottle I like better than a random $20 bottle, and I don't think that is possible.
Hahaha, for any company, that wouldn’t be correct. Companies usually want product to be sold at a higher price mark. 🙃
Everything is fashion. Look at your own high school pictures. If a respectable person repeatedly tells you Riesling is good, Riesling will become good.
Hahaha, but there is one catch! The Riesling is really good! 😎
depends on the expert. some like robert parker are conservative and objective critics who can help ID QPR. then theres ppl like suckling who'll regularly throw 90+ on mediocre bland wines. then theres luca maroni who thinks everything is near perfect either bc hes corrupt or incompetent.
I best prefer Hugh Johnson way of judging wine’s quality - that is the first bottle to be emptied. And when You do (or attempt) tastings with several wines opened - You will see, that there are always bottles that are emptied first, and some always are last. 🤔
Wow, what a chilling discussion. Can we trust the opinions of wine experts? It seems the answer is absolutely not. It doesn't matter if the wine they tasted on their luxury trip to an over hyped vineyard was mediocre, grotesquely overpriced or downright bad, they will recommend it to us anyway with a fake 98/100 score because they are selling us "emotions". Oh, and they want to be invited back again and don't want to get a reputation for being difficult or critical.
Well, I hope You understand that this is not all of the wine experts. Like in any other industry, there are people who are passionate and You can trust them, and people who will want to have their own benefit. 🥹
You should try doing your homework and find a writer for which your palate aligns. It is so subjective...hence score fluctuation/what you like vs what they like.
Yes == what is interesting?
🤔🤔🤔
Anyone can call themselves an expert. Advice might be good, biased to sell me something, or just wrong.
No, not everyone. These people study, they pass exams, and next to that they have years of experience in the industry. It is completely different than simply reading books. As I mentioned in the video - I study, and then I go talk with winemakers, and learn what is what in real life. And as I said there, in many cases it is completely opposite. 😎
@@NoSediment If someone passes WSET Level 1, are they an expert? What if they pass a test no one heard of? Do businesses know which tests have real meaning? I am not familiar with wine certifications myself, but in other fields, if someone has a PhD, they call themselves "doctor". If they call themselves "expert" it usually means a lack of more specific qualifications.
@bradbellomo6896 I wouldn’t call WSET level 1 an expert, because it offers start in the knowledge, not expertise. And depending on which field of wine You choose to go, one can get PhD. The fact that enjoying wine is based on preferences and everyone at a certain age can do that, does not mean that there is nothing to study, explore or analyse. And wine world is way bigger than knowing grape varieties and regions of origin. 😉
All of you are frameworking/defining a certain phrasology which may succeed in the exam. Not necessary. Much of the best wine is drunk locally and those epithanies are achieved there. I feel you are going around in circles. See you in a bit
Your idea is quite dangerous, as it assumes that good wine can be sourced only within a winemaking country. What about those where winemaking is not possible? I do think great wine is available both locally and in the export markets. 🙏🏻