Understanding the Differences Between Sommelier and Vivino Wine Ratings
Wine appreciation is a complex art that involves both personal taste and professional evaluation. While both sommeliers and online platforms like Vivino offer wine ratings, the motivations behind these ratings differ significantly. Understanding these differences is crucial for wine enthusiasts who want to make informed decisions. In this article, we explore the reasons behind the varying ratings and what sommeliers look for beyond what regular wine drinkers might notice.
Why Don't Sommeliers Always Agree?
The thing to understand is that even experts don’t agree about wine quality. Sommeliers, who are experts in wine, do not always agree among themselves. This variation in opinion is due to several factors:
Variation in Expertise: There are many types of professional wine experts, such as sommeliers, wine educators, and wine critics. Each has a unique set of training and focus. For example, a sommelier may focus more on restaurant-specific wine lists, while a wine educator may focus on general wine knowledge.
Motivations: While sommeliers aim to find wine that customers will enjoy and feel comfortable with the price, platforms like Vivino are more interested in selling wines. This bias may lead Vivino to favor less expensive wines or those with high profit margins.
External Influences: There’s an old saying in the wine world: ‘when you ask a wine merchant what the best wine is, it’s always one he has for sale or one he has a lot of.’ This demonstrates how external factors can influence wine ratings and recommendations.
What Sommeliers Look For Beyond Taste
Sommeliers are not just concerned with the taste of wine. They look for a range of factors that most casual wine drinkers might overlook. These include:
Typicity
One key aspect of sommelier evaluations is typicity. This refers to whether the wine matches the label and the expected style of the region. For example, a Sauvignon Blanc from France should reflect traditional flavors rather than tasting like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This ensures that customers receive accurate and authentic wine experiences.
Exclusivity
A sommelier will often look for wines that offer a unique experience. If a restaurant aims to provide a dinner experience that you can’t find at home, it’s undesirable to serve the same wines available at local supermarkets. Sommeliers seek out exceptional wines that you might not have seen before.
Complexity and Nuance
Beyond taste and typicity, sommeliers search for complexity and nuances. This includes:
Color: Observing the color of the wine can provide insights into its age and origin.
Scent and Taste: The intricate aromas and flavors can reveal a deeper understanding of the wine's terroir and cultivation methods.
Structure: The structure of a wine, including its acidity, tannins, and body, can reveal its potential pairing with different foods.
Why Vivino Ratings Differ
Vivino, an online platform for wine ratings, has its own unique approach to wine reviews. These crowd-sourced ratings may differ from sommelier reviews for several reasons:
Crowd-Sourced Outcomes: Vivino ratings are aggregated from member opinions, leading to a broader range of tastes and preferences.
Price Sensitivity: Vivino may prioritize wines that are more affordable or produce higher profit margins, hence skewing the ratings towards less expensive options.
Local Availability: Vivino may favor wines that are more widely available, which can lead to a skewed perception of wine quality based on what is easiest to consume rather than what is truly exceptional.
Key Takeaways
In summary, wine ratings and reviews from sommeliers and Vivino reflect different perspectives and motivations. Sommeliers focus on authenticity, exclusivity, and complexity, while Vivino prioritizes broader appeal and price sensitivity. Understanding these differences can help wine enthusiasts make more informed decisions and appreciate the diverse world of wine.
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