NorthBay biz conducts a blind wine tasting test to see if price truly dictates quality. The results? Someone call a cab…
A lot has been made in recent years of the effect price has on perceived wine quality. Studies have proven consumers will rate a wine more favorably if told it’s expensive before they taste it. Conversely, they’ll rate the same wine lower elsewhere in the same tasting if told it’s cheap before taking a sip. Apparently, we’re all shallow, status-obsessed wine idiots (and I mean that in the nicest way).
Nonetheless, that got us thinking: “Does price really matter?” If we decant a $5 bottle of wine and tell people it’s a jewel from the cellar, will they love it or will we be busted? And have you ever noticed the shoes you buy at Payless get just as many compliments as the ones you splurge on? Hmmm…
So, can we really tell the difference in wine quality without referring to the label? We decided to stage our own blind wine tasting to uncover the truth.
Now, for the past three years, I’ve been assigned stories for our special Wine issue that revolve around the idea that everyone’s palate is different, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer when it comes to wine tasting. In 2007, I examined the notion of a gender difference in wine tasting (“What Women Want”). A year later, I delved into wine educator Tim Hanni’s work mapping taste buds and profiling flavor preferences (“If the Shoe Fits”). Apparently, this qualifies me to determine if a group of people can agree about wine even if no one knows what they’re drinking.
So we gathered together friends with varied levels of wine knowledge and asked them each to contribute either a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon (any price). All wines were sealed into brown paper bags and either numbered (the Cabs) or lettered (Chardonnays) for anonymity. We then asked everyone to rate wines on a scale of one to four (four being great) in four different categories: Appearance, Aroma, Taste and Finish. These categories were then added together to determine the wine’s overall score (a perfect score was 16); there was also a place to add specific tasting notes.
And so we began. Notes were taken and scores were assigned. After we imbibed, the wines were revealed. You can find the results at the bottom of the page, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
Getting into the grape
From the start, our group was diverse in its wine proclivities. Some were well-versed in the language of the vine and took this task seriously; their insightful notes and observances put the rest of us to shame. We had participants who prefer red wine and some who only drink white. One or two admittedly infrequent wine drinkers came for the free food.
Nonetheless, it all began civilly enough. Couples and individuals broke off from the group to taste and discuss quietly. Sips were small, and honest consideration was given to each sample. But the day was hot, and it was thirsty work. Before long, some (I won’t mention any names…) were rooting for favorites: “Have you tried ‘E’ yet?” “Six is the bomb!”
Did those comments sway scores? Probably. But not as much as the negative remarks that soon followed (“This smells like pee,” “Is this one corked?” [It wasn’t]). Seems once we all had a bit of the sauce inside, it became harder to keep our opinions to ourselves. Soon, larger discussion groups formed and decisions were being made (at least in part) by consensus—actually more like a room full of tipsy Devil’s Advocates laughingly debating either side of the argument not already taken.
As the afternoon progressed, the wine worked its magic. The music got louder, as did the laughter. New friendships were formed and old camaraderies deepened. Wine discourse gave way to life stories, polite pours gave way to full glasses—and who brought beer?
The party had officially started.
Sharing our thoughts
Even without groupthink, the score sheets told their own stories. A few participants seemed able to keep their senses, but the rest of us fell into one of two distinct patterns. Either we became excessively lenient as we progressed—everything tasted better the more we tried—or the opposite became true and scores lowered as our taste buds became saturated to the point that we couldn’t distinguish one wine from another.
That caused a hitch, because whether we admitted it or not, we were all trying to figure out which wines were ours. Quite a few had contributed a favorite, but you’d be surprised how hard it can be to pick out a wine—even one you’re intimately familiar with—from among a similar group. At least there’s a confidence in that choice, though; you know you’re not bringing a dog. Some of us (including my husband and I) had brought wines we weren’t familiar with, so every time a wine was insulted, I had to wonder…was it ours?
Thankfully, we did OK. Our wines weren’t the highest rated, but they were far from the bottom of the rankings. A few people even rated them quite favorably—just not us (with a top score possibility of 16, we gave our Chardonnay a 9 and our Cabernet an 8). Seems we weren’t overly impressed. We weren’t the only ones this happened to: “Weak nose, thin appearance, tart, tannic; not too special.” That’s not how I’d describe one of my favorite wines…but, embarrassingly, someone did just that.
Perhaps more honest were comments from some of the admittedly less wine-savvy in the group. Rather than dwell on identifying aromas or specific flavor components, one focused on a simpler scale: “I’d buy this” or “Nope.” Another stuck with “Nice,” “So-so” and “Sh**ty.” There’s something to be said for brevity.
The reveal
When we finally gathered to unmask the bottles, it became clear that all scientific pretense was solidly out the window. The tasting sheets had been collected to prevent any late-entry fiddling with the numbers, but everyone knew their favorites. So as the bags were torn open and labels read (or recognized, in some cases), there were outbursts of laughter, groans, cheers and outrage. Looking back—and with tasting sheets in hand—I realize there was also silence.
A few participants had selected distinctly against the group, either giving high scores to wines that were roundly dissed by other tasters or, conversely, dogging a generally well-liked wine. These mavericks were nowhere to be heard above the din of self-congratulations and clinking glasses. That means certain mysteries will forever remain, like the identity of the one who swam against the tide and rated Two-Buck Chuck Sauvignon Blanc an 11 (“flowery, with a fruit finish”), or the rebel who rated our ultimately top-ranking Chardonnay a 4 (“acidic, hot”).
What’s really interesting is, almost as soon as the bottles were identified, we reverted to old habits. Because despite the serious efforts on all our parts, many bottles were still close to half full. Curiously, no one seemed anxious to seek out newly discovered favorites. Instead, there was a mad rush to fill up with the recognizably pricey remnants. “Someone brought Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay? I’ve always wanted to try that!” And someone surreptitiously made off with the last of the winning Cab—they didn’t even leave the bottle behind (but I promise I recycled).
Once those were gone, the lobbying began. “This is one of my favorite wines; I can’t believe no one liked it! Here, try this again.” And so, glass-by-glass, the stragglers were reconsidered, label designs were critiqued and back label descriptors were compared to our own notes (we should have rated those categories in separate contests—fine art and fiction).
The palate of the beholder
In the end, the cheaper wines didn’t win…but they didn’t lose, either. Because even though our top pick in each category was among the pricier entries, both our Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon runners-up were decidedly more affordable. And that’s good news, because the truth is, especially these days, most of us can’t afford the “good stuff” for more than special occasions.
So how are we supposed to enjoy our not-Hestan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon or less-than-La Crema Chardonnay with tonight’s dinner? Easy. The one thing our wine tasting proved, unequivocally, is that the real good stuff isn’t the wine you’re drinking, but the company with whom you’re sharing it.
The Results Are In
The results of our definitely non-scientific blind wine tasting are proof positive that everyone’s palate is different. A top score of 16 is possible, but our free-wheelin’ judges rode the road in all directions. Here’s what we thought about what we drank.
La Crema 2007 Russian River Valley
$30
Average score: 11.15
Scores: 9, 10, 13, 10, 8.5, 11, 16, 4, 14, 16
Woodbridge 2008 California Robert Mondavi
$6.99
Average score: 10.4
Scores: 9, 16, 7, 13, 5, 12, 11
Geyser Peak 2007 Alexander Valley
$14
Average score: 9.2
Scores: 14, 6, 4, 13, 9, 13, 6
Callaway Coastal 2007 California
$4.99
Average score: 9.18
Scores: 16, 16, 3, 8, 9.5, 5, 0, 16,
Wente 2008 Riva Ranch, Monterey
$19.95
Average score: 9
Scores: 13, 14, 7, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 10
Sonoma-Cutrer 2006 Sonoma Coast
$24
Average score: 8.1
Scores: 14, 11, 6, 8, 5, 5, 4, 13, 7
Project Happiness 2007 California
$5.99
Average score: 7.1
Scores: 7, 10.5, 4, 3, 11
Red Bicyclette 2007 France
$9.99
Average score: 6.6
Scores: 8, 12, 10, 9, 9, 7, 4, 3, 0, 8, 3
Charles Shaw 2005 Sauvignon Blanc
$1.99
Average score: 6.5
Scores: 5, 8, 0, 7, 11, 8
Les Charmes 2007 Macon-Lugny
$11.29
Average score: 5.6
Scores: 0, 7, 4, 7, 9, 3, 9, 6
Cabernet Sauvignons
Hestan Vineyards 2003 Meyer Vineyard Napa Valley
$40
Average score: 11.66
Scores: 13, 14,10, 13, 9, 11
Sean Minor 4Bears 2006 Napa Valley
$17
Average score: 11.64
Scores: 16, 8, 12.5, 15, 6, 9, 15
Robert Keenan Winery 2003 Napa Valley
$42
Average score: 11.16
Scores: 14, 15, 9, 10, 9, 10
Chateau St. Jean 2007 California
$13.99
Average score: 10.42
Scores: 14, 9, 8, 12, 8, 10, 12
Salvatore Principe 2006 Cafayate Argentina
$11.99
Average score: 10.37
Scores: 12, 15, 7, 7, 10, 11, 8, 13
Seghesio 2005 Alexander Valley
$28
Average score: 8
Scores: 12, 10, 7, 10, 3, 7, 7, 8
Hunter Ashby 2005 Napa Valley
$9.99
Average score: 7.5
Scores: 9, 3, 4, 8, 14, 7
Middle Sister (Mischief Maker) California (non-vintage)
$11.99
Average score: 7.28
Scores: 9, 8, 8, 8, 5, 6, 7
Editor’s note: Prices may vary.
