fighting WINE SNOB haters

[roger80465]

Expert

Here's the definition.

EXPERT: a former drip under pressure.

You're welcome.

 

[sour_grapes]

Yeah It does amaze me that people taste buds are effected by the price tag its like they feel like they have to like it if its more $$

It may be amazing, but it seems to be a near-universal trait that people's actual reported enjoyment is affected by their perception of how enjoyable an experience SHOULD be. In the wine world, labeling and pricing are two of the cues that prime our expectations.

 

[sour_grapes]

Just wondering why one would fight wine snob haters.

Because snobbery is puffed up ignorance. You don't hate it.. You deflate it. And if you have the inclination and/or the time, you educate the snob.

I know that both of you are highly intelligent. I believe that Greg was riffing on the ambiguity in the phrase "wine snob hater." Does it refer to someone who hates wine snobs (in which case the phrase should have been "wine-snob hater") or does it refer to people who could be described as both wine snobs AND "haters" (in the current patois the kewl kidz use).

In any event, Bernard, I find, as usual, your insightful comment quite incisive. I would not have had that realization on my own accord.

 

[BernardSmith]

It may be amazing, but it seems to be a near-universal trait that people's actual reported enjoyment is affected by their perception of how enjoyable an experience SHOULD be. In the wine world, labeling and pricing are two of the cues that prime our expectations.

I am a sociologist, not a psychologist but "priming" does seem to play an important role in how we respond to many things. And price and scarcity - as when a store limits the number of boxes you can buy to ONLY five (and you would not even have thought to buy even one had they not set a limit on the number you could buy) seem to make items more precious and desirable if not more tasty... But that said, there does seem to be some real questions raised by psychologists about the absolute power of "priming". Experiments by folk like Bargh who recently showed that young people tended to walk more slowly after hearing or reading words that evoked old age and the elderly have not been successfully replicated using instruments that are more blind to the ones performing the experiment. (His research assistants used stop watches to measure the time it took subjects to walk a certain distance before and after they were tested. Those trying to replicate the data used instruments that did not require the assistants to press any buttons or switches). A lack of replicable data raises all kinds of questions about the validity of the original research. But that said, priming seems to be at play here too - We might dismiss commercially made wine simply because it was made by a professional wine maker... but commercially made wine is not the same as what passes for commercially made beer (so bad that it has to be drunk chilled so you can't in fact taste it). My sense is we try to replicate the quality of good wines. Home brewers try to make real ale... and the large commercial brewers try their hardest to pretend that they are micro- breweries and their beer is hand crafted. I am not sure that quality wine makers pretend that they make their wines in the kitchen or basement...

 

[GreginND]

Because snobbery is puffed up ignorance. You don't hate it.. You deflate it. And if you have the inclination and/or the time, you educate the snob.

I agree but I still don't understand why one would fight the snob haters. Perhaps there was sme needed punctuation missing from the OP title?

 

[jamesngalveston]

wine snobbery was not....when noah replanted the grape vines, and the world populated again they would have open air markets and most sold wine at the same price, until.
a smart jewish man raised the price of his wine, proclaiming it to be better because it was grown in small cool valley.
the following week all merchants had raised prices somewhat, and all claiming the wine better becasue it was from a hotter climate, a different color, sweeter grape, larger grape,smaller grape, etc.
snobbery no...marketing yes....still in existence..

 

[BernardSmith]

The one who raised the price of wine was not "a smart Jewish man". She was a Greek Cypriot.

 

[Paulc]

Interesting comments all, absolutely marketing is critical for "good" anything.

That being said, a velvet elvis is "art" but I wouldn't want see one displayed along side a Monet or the David. Art is art, but not all art is equal. Same as wine.

If you made your wine, you're happy with it and enjoy drinking it then hell with the "wine snobs". Why are you/we worrying about what some jerk thinks about wine?
Paul

 

[jdmyers]

correction

I agree but I still don't understand why one would fight the snob haters. Perhaps there was sme needed punctuation missing from the OP title?

they are wine snobs AND haters
While I greatly appreciate all of the wine knowledge and lessons I receive from this web site. I never thought I would be getting English lessons also, thanks

 

[kevinlfifer]

Who cares what they "wine snobs" think, say or drink or why they behave in that manner. This is our passion to share with those whom we care about and love.

 

[GreginND]

they are wine snobs AND haters
While I greatly appreciate all of the wine knowledge and lessons I receive from this web site. I never thought I would be getting English lessons also, thanks

Sorry, didn't mean to offend you with my poor attempt at dry humor. My apologies.

 

[Gwand]

The best way to bring down the wine snob is through blind tastings. Although there are a few tasting savants out there most of us are average tasters. I have seen many a wine snob brought to their knees in blind tastings when they picked the $10 bottle of wine over the $50 bottle of wine. We like what we like and it may not even be possible for us to describe the wine's characteristics in detail. And that is just fine.

Also as previously said pairing with food is so important to bringing out the best qualities in a wine. I do not particularly enjoy drinking big red wines without having a great meal at the same time. To me they are not meant to be served as a cocktail. Likewise I find Jamie, intense fruit forward wines not to go very well with many foods. These wines I do enjoy drinking without food accompaniment. These are just my own taste idiosyncrasies. Everybody should develop their own preferences and never be embarrassed by it. Wine is meant to be fun, make us happy and love the people around us.

 

[sour_grapes]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend you with my poor attempt at dry humor.

Yeah, maybe off-dry would have been better. One method is to let the joke run until dry, and then to back-funny. However, it is usually much, MUCH more humorous to interrupt the joke before completion with copious amounts of brandy.

 

[Jericurl]

Manthing's parents got me a giftcard to the local winery.

We were talking about when we might go and Manthing asked me if I was going to tell them I made my own wine. I said no and he asked why not.
I told him because I didn't want them to look down their noses at me or try to make me feel bad.
Now...Manthing is a very quiet unassuming man, but he is 6ft 2 and does have red hair.
Boy did he ever get heated up over that!
He was quite indignant and told me he was certain that my wine was just as good as any crap they want to set out. He also pointed out that he is not a wine drinker but he will actually drink *my* wine, therefore that makes it better in his book.

I love that man.

 

[jamesngalveston]

jericurl, you are probably right about them looking down there noses at you, after all...if we all made wine, there wouldnt be so many wineries.
another thing....you have to remember that grape wine has been around for 25,000 years, some where along the line, they were more terrible then good...
fruit wine is an up and coming thing...
I have all ready have about 5 people making there own, after they found out how easy it was...and there making it like they want...and from what fruit they like...beside grapes'
what is ironic is that most of the wine snobs...think that wine can not be made out of anything but grapes, so they are all ready stupid.

 

[cmason1957]

Jericurl, most winemakers figure out you make wine based on the question you might ask them. Things like how much did you backsweeten this to? Did you do an MLF on this red wine?

You certainly know more than most so called wins snoobs. The few owners I know of commercial windrows love to talk tech stuff.

 

[Stressbaby]

Jeri, I wouldn't worry about it. My (somewhat limited) experience has mirrored cmason - if you get past the 21 year old pouring the glasses and you are able to meet the winemaker, they LOVE to talk to home winemakers about their wines, grapes, and techniques. They don't really want to hear about your wine however, so be ready to listen. But the ones I've met have been more than willing to share.

 

[DaveL]

Manthing's parents got me a giftcard to the local winery.



We were talking about when we might go and Manthing asked me if I was going to tell them I made my own wine. I said no and he asked why not.
I told him because I didn't want them to look down their noses at me or try to make me feel bad.
Now...Manthing is a very quiet unassuming man, but he is 6ft 2 and does have red hair.
Boy did he ever get heated up over that!
He was quite indignant and told me he was certain that my wine was just as good as any crap they want to set out. He also pointed out that he is not a wine drinker but he will actually drink *my* wine, therefore that makes it better in his book.


I love that man.

I have found in central Virginia most wineries will readily discuss home wine making and offer great amounts of advice. Probably because the industry is so relatively young here that most of them can remember being in my shoes.

 

[DaveL]

Jericurl, most winemakers figure out you make wine based on the question you might ask them. Things like how much did you backsweeten this to? Did you do an MLF on this red wine?

You certainly know more than most so called wins snoobs. The few owners I know of commercial windrows love to talk tech stuff.

It is funny in the first 2 months of making wine I knew more about wine than %90 of so called wine snobs. For all the talk of "wisps of cherry, chocolate, and smoky flavors" they could no more tell you why or how these flavors came about than one of the monkey that were painting master pieces above.

 

[JohnT]

Who cares what they "wine snobs" think, say or drink or why they behave in that manner. This is our passion to share with those whom we care about and love.

<Sniff>. You guys are just being mean. <sniff, sob> Wine snobs need love too!



Jeri,

most winemakers (not snobs) do not have a attitude when it comes to home winemakers. I have learned a great deal from them and have always seemed to get answers to my "I make a little wine at home and I was just wondering" questions.

. When you tour a winery and find someone who actually plays a part in making wine (and not some 18 year old tour guide) go ahead and ask questions. The only thing you need to be careful of it to not cop an attitude with him.