Spotting fine wine: Taste is more about tariff than terroir

Can an $18 bottle of wine be perceived as a $2,000 one — and vice versa?

By ET Bureau | Oct 30, 2020, 09.48 AM IST

There is enough anecdotal evidence to prove that price tags have a distinct impact on the senses. Aroma, feel, look, sound, taste and tariff are usually amazingly complementary. Rare is the connoisseur who has never been fooled or misled by a tag — or its absence.

So, a famous restaurateur’s recent recounting of how four businessmen discerned the taste of a $2,000 Château Mouton Rothschild in their mistakenly served glasses of $18 Pinot at his New York eatery way back in 2000 is entirely believable.

That the couple who had ordered the cheapest wine on the list that evening and were given the most expensive remained as clueless as the businessmen merely reinforces the truism. The 20 years that have elapsed since the incident have seen many more reported instances of such mix-ups, not to mention even top wine experts being fooled.

The discovery this month of a widespread racket that passed off thousands of bottles of cheap Italian wine as prized ‘Super Tuscans’ with false labels and price tags would not surprise Indians.

After all, more Scotch is supposedly drunk in India than is distilled in Scotland. This reiterates that fake alcohol is just as prevalent as fake news and is about as convincing to gullible consumers. And it also proves there’s no accounting for taste.

10 Must-Have Accessories to Host The Ultimate Wine Evening

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It is the season of festivals and celebrations, and what better way to do it than opening a bottle of your favourite wine.

There are a few things that you should have in your bar to have an altogether different experience.

Dipesh Sinha, Mixologist and Wine Enthusiast, Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai, and Sweta Mohanty, Wine and Spirits Trainer, Aspri Spirits, list some accessories that can help you serve your guests in style in your next cocktail party.

(Text: IANS)