Similar in wine? Negative correlation between prices of wine and ratings among ordinary people

[Jeromeof]

My opinion in general of the Wine hobby is similar to Audio especially in the old days ( so without any Audio or Wine Science ). This was highlighted to me dramatically during the Company Christmas. We had a wine tasting (and presentation) earlier in the day of some nice Burgundy wines with the 2 self proclaimed Wine experts employees (who would normally be the types that would pick the Wine at company events because they "know good wine") waxing lyrically about the different wines (at various increasing prices explaining the differences) during the tasting, that of course they have bought earlier in the day for the event.

Anyway later in the evening, we get to the restaurant and one of them grabs the wine menu and then looks concerned, so I asked what is the problem. He then tells says "disaster", I ask "why" ? And he saya "well there is no prices next to the bottles!!" - I look at him?? He says "well how are we suppose to know if something is good without the prices". I immediately start laughing. The 2 "Wine experts" decided to drink beer for the rest of the evening rather than damage their reputation.

I thank ASR that we at least can evaluate audio products independently of subjective reviews or price !

 

[Eric Natural]

I'm semi retired certified wine educator and 1st level somm. The parallels between the senses of hearing and of taste are fascinating to me as a hifi enthusiast. I used to teach that the sensory threads connecting the palate to your monkey brain are very, very thin and so easily suggestable. This is the reason wine judging must be done in silence. If I say out loud "wow, the blackberry in wine #4 is terrific"; just about everyone in the room will taste blackberries in wine 4. The audio equivalent would be similar ie. "I hear more texture in the tube amp".
As regards differentiating an expensive bottle from a well-made inexpensive bottle, I'd add that winemaking has come a long way over the last 20 years and there are fewer poorly-made bottles in the marketplace than in the previous century. The market is quite dynamic and sub-standard wines get discounted & flushed out of the system fairly quickly. I think most tasters can tell the diff between a $10 bottle and a $100 bottle side by side but the curve from ~$50 to over $100 is pretty flat.
Cheers

 

[Looneybomber]

I'm semi retired certified wine educator and 1st level somm…If I say out loud "wow, the blackberry in wine #4 is terrific"; just about everyone in the room will taste blackberries in wine 4. The audio equivalent would be similar ie. "I hear more texture in the tube amp".

That is the power of suggestion. A salesman can play music with black box A then switch to black box B and tell the client to listen for XYZ. The client then hears XYZ from the more expensive black box B. Classic sales tactic.

As for wine, I have a hard time telling apart a red from white with my eyes open! Ha. I do an ok job at guessing the grain bill in whiskey and the hops/malt in beer (I brewed beer for years). I am terrible at guessing prices, however.