I enjoy Shakespearean theatrical productions. But I have to do two things, re-adjust my brain to listen to that style of speaking English and pay attention to the overall story. The first takes a bit of time (if it’s been a minute) at the expense of the other. Who talks like that anymore?
Wine descriptors get edited, simplified and reduced to the number of characters in a Twitter feed and a point score on the neck of a bottle in a grocery store. Some of the reason these terms get amplified and repeated is lazy writing.
A pinot gets a big score, competing wineries simply use the same or similar words to describe their Pinot, to ‘grab that lightning’! Why recreate the wheel, right?
In large tastings, I can be accused of using the term ‘elegant’, ‘refined’, ‘soft’ to quickly describe my own wines. Why? To draw out the Pinot, Cab or Zin Bro quickly and with ease. Chances are they won’t like my wine and if they do, I’ve managed expectations off the top; I’m not the alcoholic, fruit and oak bomb next door, but if you want that, please go next door.
In other markets and where it’s appropriate, I can up my game and my vocabulary to describe the grapes and the wines. Using a word like ‘fecundity’ or a phrase like ‘cunningly adaptable’ or ‘cinder of truth’ are perfect for certain events and markets, but certainly not most of the places I pour and sell wine. Shakespeare isn’t for everyone either.
I enjoy Shakespearean theatrical productions. But I have to do two things, re-adjust my brain to listen to that style of speaking English and pay attention to the overall story. The first takes a bit of time (if it’s been a minute) at the expense of the other. Who talks like that anymore?
Wine descriptors get edited, simplified and reduced to the number of characters in a Twitter feed and a point score on the neck of a bottle in a grocery store. Some of the reason these terms get amplified and repeated is lazy writing.
A pinot gets a big score, competing wineries simply use the same or similar words to describe their Pinot, to ‘grab that lightning’! Why recreate the wheel, right?
In large tastings, I can be accused of using the term ‘elegant’, ‘refined’, ‘soft’ to quickly describe my own wines. Why? To draw out the Pinot, Cab or Zin Bro quickly and with ease. Chances are they won’t like my wine and if they do, I’ve managed expectations off the top; I’m not the alcoholic, fruit and oak bomb next door, but if you want that, please go next door.
In other markets and where it’s appropriate, I can up my game and my vocabulary to describe the grapes and the wines. Using a word like ‘fecundity’ or a phrase like ‘cunningly adaptable’ or ‘cinder of truth’ are perfect for certain events and markets, but certainly not most of the places I pour and sell wine. Shakespeare isn’t for everyone either.