re: Proof: All Wine Tastes the Same

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I do tend to agree with the overall message of articles like this, but there is a line where you can easily cross into shite wines at a certain price point.

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I also agree with the article's general tone. However, I have also bought bottles of wine that were so bad I poured them down the drain after 2 sips. So I cannot believe that there is no difference between different wines.

What's interesting to me, though, is that wine critics truly believe they can tell these subtle differences even though all the double-blinds say they cannot. They clearly do not think they are bs'ing people - this is very serious to them.

Maybe I'm just not understanding what you are attempting to say. I know tasting a vertical flight of heitz Martha's on 12 vintages shows a menthol/eucalyptus flavor profile every year. It's a distinguishing characteristic that any experienced palate would notice.

I've also had wines from the same vineyard and without knowing guessed approximately the clones used because of the huge difference in flavor profiles. Same winery, winemaker, vintage but one was dominant pommard clone and the other was all Dijon clones (Pinot noir). Dijon is more focused on a specific darker fruit profile where as pommard has a bright red fruit character and an herby/earthy tinge.

I've also had wines from vineyards and wineries I'm heavily familiar with that are nothing like others because of multiple variables, but I take each wine indivually at the moment and deduce from there, not off of past experiences. Winemakers, vintages, and viticulturalists change as do wines.