Negative criticism

S

Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
Has anyone ever felt caught by the hospitality of a winemaker into not voicing negative criticism about wines (i.e. not mentioning them; I assume no one here would actually lie and say they were lovely)?
 
Oh, and by the way, speaking of negative criticism, just looked at your Blog and although I acknowledge it can sometimes be a bit prickly, if you think Le Rouge Gorge is the worst wine you've ever tasted, you are quickly losing your hipster credentials!
 
Rahsaan, I have no hipster credentials. That's just a blurry photocopy of someone else's, I swear.

And thank you for your candor.
 
I have too, yes. Actually, I find personally liking or disliking a winemaker tends to affect the way I approach their wines, something that makes me uncomfortable. So now I just go out of my way to avoid winemakers entirely.
 
Aren't the laws of classical social hypocrisy (commonly known as politness) actually requiring us to behave like that?

One guy told me that he looks in the eyes to see if the guy / girl likes his wines. And then he smiles at the discrepancy with the oral answer.

But if a friend winemaker asks me for my honest answer, he will get it.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Negative criticismHas anyone ever felt caught by the hospitality of a winemaker into not voicing negative criticism about wines (i.e. not mentioning them; I assume no one here would actually lie and say they were lovely)?
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It's always a problem. That's why I prefer to only taste with winemakers when I know I already like, or am interested in, the wine.

Too many distributors use the winemaker tasting as a marketing opportunity, and too often for insipid wine that requires marketing...

I hate the uncomfortable meetings because I in no way want to criticize any winemaker to his/her face, as any wine I would make would be far worse that Rouge Gorge, or Yellow Tail for that matter.
 
And thank you for your candor.
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Hey, we all have our palate preferences.

As far as speaking to winemakers, I've been in situations where the wine was truly awful so I didn't necessarily need to convey that, but contented myself with a few slight critiques or vague comments.

However, with good winemakers I have found that polite and constructive honesty is just fine. One or two of their wines may not be at the same level as the others, or I may just have unique preferences and they are usually happy to hear how I respond to their work.
 
originally posted by The Fish:
But if a friend winemaker asks me for my honest answer, he will get it.
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Jean,
I once asked a friend what he thought of a wine I made; he said he thought it showed promise but wasn't at its best at the moment.
I thought about that response some - it was not only diplomatic but it was also accurate (judging the wine as objectively as I could).
Would that it was always so easy.
Best, Jim
 
Miss Manners was once asked how one should respond when introduced to a dictator at a cocktail party. Her suggestion: "History will record your true worth."

There are a lot of ways to say things, said the investment banker.
 
I would never criticize a winemaker's wine directly to him or her unless we were already on reasonably friendly terms, h/she knew I liked their wine and I was making a comment on detail--and probably not even then (although Julien Barrot knows that one of his cuvees isn't to my taste). If I don't like the winemaker, I am even more distantly polite since I have sufficient occasions to get into verbal arguments with people even to assuage my unusual taste for such activities and avoid them in such situations.

As a general rule, I can distinguish pretty easily between liking a winemaker and liking their wine. The problem occurs when I do like the winemaker and I generally like their wine. I would certainly then not publicize negative views of a specific wine--but I'm not a critic, so I don't feel any responsibility to do so. And I have plenty of occasions, again, in which career responsibility forces me to offer negative opinions of the work of people I like to take care of any weird satisfactions I might get from such disinterest.
 
No. I usually find a way to say that I don't care for the style of the wines. Only place I ever tasted where the wines were truly awful was Coturi. I don't think I would ever be invited back but then again I would never want to return.
 
Yes, I have on several occasions been given uninteresting (or worse) wine by a very likable winemaker. On such occasions, I try to adhere to my mother's advice to say nothing at all if I can't say something nice. If pressed for an opinion, I will usually say that the wine isn't my style or something of that sort.

Mark Lipton
 
I once asked a friend what he thought of a wine I made; he said he thought it showed promise but wasn't at its best at the moment.
I thought about that response some - it was not only diplomatic but it was also accurate (judging the wine as objectively as I could).
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Good one - IMHO an honest answer is often complex, relative and evasive (attributes which happen also to be pillars of diplomacy) - but then "wine" is complex, relative, evasive.
J
(not sure what you wanted to say with your last sentence - some words missing I think)
 
I work with suppliers all the time who I like, but whose wines I frequently don't prefer. But, the way I look at it, it's not whether I like the wine(s), or not, but how my customers like it. That said, there are plenty of ways to say nice things to a winemaker/owner about a wine of theirs you don't like. If you just say things like, Wow, there's a lot of rich fruit in there with a bunch of vanilla and then ask about the oak regimen, you show interest without offering a negative opinion. Just keep smiling and nodding your head.
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
I work with suppliers all the time who I like, but whose wines I frequently don't prefer. But, the way I look at it, it's not whether I like the wine(s), or not, but how my customers like it. That said, there are plenty of ways to say nice things to a winemaker/owner about a wine of theirs you don't like. If you just say things like, Wow, there's a lot of rich fruit in there with a bunch of vanilla and then ask about the oak regimen, you show interest without offering a negative opinion. Just keep smiling and nodding your head.
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I just cracked myself up thinking about telling Jim "Wow, this has some really viscous, thick fruit!!! Nice rich vanilla milkshake notes!!! Wow, you harvest at 28 brix, cool."
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
I work with suppliers all the time who I like, but whose wines I frequently don't prefer. But, the way I look at it, it's not whether I like the wine(s), or not, but how my customers like it. That said, there are plenty of ways to say nice things to a winemaker/owner about a wine of theirs you don't like. If you just say things like, Wow, there's a lot of rich fruit in there with a bunch of vanilla and then ask about the oak regimen, you show interest without offering a negative opinion. Just keep smiling and nodding your head.
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I just cracked myself up thinking about telling Jim "Wow, this has some really viscous, thick fruit!!! Nice rich vanilla milkshake notes!!! Wow, you harvest at 28 brix, cool."
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That's the spirit!
 
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