Renoun
Well-Known Member
There's an article in The London Telegraph describing how bad some wine judges are. I can't imagine that beer judges are much better but I don't enter competitions so I can't claim to care that much. I like what I like, if I enjoy it I'll acquire more.
Is everything we know about wine wrong?
Is everything we know about wine wrong?
By Will Storr1:00PM BST 29 Apr 2014Comments247 Comments
If youre in the business of fermenting grapes for money, youre going to want a medal from the California State Wine Fair. A bronze, silver or gold from that event means recognition, esteem and a solid boost to your sales figures. This is not only the oldest judging competition in the US it started in 1854 but also one of the most prestigious. Every year, its 70-strong array of noses and tongues, which belong to many of the best critics, sommeliers, academics and winemakers in the nation, pass judgment on about 2,500 bottles.
But how meaningful are their results? A few years ago, a frustrated vintner named Robert Hodgson, who had a background in statistics, thought of a way of testing the testers. He wondered what would happen if he supplied 100 wines for consideration but, without the judges knowing, slipped each wine to them three different times. Would they notice? Surely, with their trained and articulate palates, theyd at least be consistent in how they rated the identical drinks?