Wine descriptions
Discussion
I was hoping for something like 'dark chocolate with hints of leather and hippopotamus'.
So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
Simpo Two said:
it was only about £7 so I bought it.
That sounds like a wine with a message; and the message is "beware".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbOZccv9ym8
Simpo Two said:
I was hoping for something like 'dark chocolate with hints of leather and hippopotamus'.
So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
What made you buy it ?So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
Panamax said:
Simpo Two said:
it was only about £7 so I bought it.
That sounds like a wine with a message; and the message is "beware".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbOZccv9ym8
Simpo Two said:
I was hoping for something like 'dark chocolate with hints of leather and hippopotamus'.
So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
Does anybody read that stuff? "Hits the palate like tear gas with oil of vitriol undertones; finish is harsh if still conscious and can remove tooth enamel."So when I bought a bottle of Marchesini Piemonte Rosso from my friendly local CoOp I was interested to know what it was like. The friendly local stacker of wine shelves was very apologetic and said they hadn't trained him on what the stuff actually tasted like. Anyway it was only about £7 so I bought it.
This evening I read the small print on the back of the label. These days ithat area is usually filled with rubbish like 'organic gluten-free GM-free low carbon vegan yada blah' but this did actually venture a description of the flavour. I quote:
'On the palate it is elegant with a pleasant winey taste.'
DOH! Well done the marketing team
Pistom said:
I don't really take much notice to the descriptions on the bottles.
That's a good point; I usually go by grape variety but on this bottle it was either not mentioned, or cunningly disguised as an Italian village. Piemonte sounds like a breed of terrier (or maybe terroire?) Hence the further, but pointless, investigation.Simpo Two said:
That's a good point; I usually go by grape variety but on this bottle it was either not mentioned, or cunningly disguised as an Italian village. Piemonte sounds like a breed of terrier (or maybe terroire?) Hence the further, but pointless, investigation.
It's one of the distinctions between Old and New World wines. In the big winemaking areas of Europe, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, the wines are classified by location and the laws are strict about which grape varieties can be included (weirdly even when that is more than a dozen varieties including white grapes like Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Hence if you know the location you'll be able to know which grapes. In supermarket wines the varieties might be on the back label. Under their labelling laws, the French forbid labelling by grape so if you find a French Merlot, for instance, it will be a (unclassified) table wine (doesn't mean it's bad). The exception in France is Alsace but that's culturally German and you will see Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer on (German style) bottles.If you think about it, in the old days before mass travel, the grape growing farmers probably had little idea of the breadth of grape varieties across the continent and were probably only growing one or two local varieties which adapted/evolved to the conditions or a totally random field blend suited. The variation in the wine locally would be due to the particular local characteristics of soil, aspect, altitude, weather exposure, microclimate etc. and the skill of the winemaker. European winemakers can be very parochial and until recently, it wouldn't be unusual for a winemaker to not have tasted wine grown in the next village. Hence French obsession and chauvinism about terroir.
Snag with buying vino in GB is the amount of tax and duty the Chancellor slaps on the stuff. That £7 bottle is probably about £1.50 before tax!
Currently on the Algarve, buying local plonk of decent quality for well under 3 euros/bottle, same wine, same bottle but a label to suit GB market from the likes of Laithwaite is £9/£10 bottle. Crazy, but in the same way as 'they' do not want us to drive, or smoke, or drink so apply a huge tax to the stuff we all enjoy!
And do not get me started on gin.......
Currently on the Algarve, buying local plonk of decent quality for well under 3 euros/bottle, same wine, same bottle but a label to suit GB market from the likes of Laithwaite is £9/£10 bottle. Crazy, but in the same way as 'they' do not want us to drive, or smoke, or drink so apply a huge tax to the stuff we all enjoy!
And do not get me started on gin.......
oddman said:
It's one of the distinctions between Old and New World wines. In the big winemaking areas of Europe, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, the wines are classified by location and the laws are strict about which grape varieties can be included (weirdly even when that is more than a dozen varieties including white grapes like Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Hence if you know the location you'll be able to know which grapes. In supermarket wines the varieties might be on the back label. Under their labelling laws, the French forbid labelling by grape so if you find a French Merlot, for instance, it will be a (unclassified) table wine (doesn't mean it's bad). The exception in France is Alsace but that's culturally German and you will see Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer on (German style) bottles.
If you think about it, in the old days before mass travel, the grape growing farmers probably had little idea of the breadth of grape varieties across the continent and were probably only growing one or two local varieties which adapted/evolved to the conditions or a totally random field blend suited. The variation in the wine locally would be due to the particular local characteristics of soil, aspect, altitude, weather exposure, microclimate etc. and the skill of the winemaker. European winemakers can be very parochial and until recently, it wouldn't be unusual for a winemaker to not have tasted wine grown in the next village. Hence French obsession and chauvinism about terroir.
Believe the rule is that they must include certain details but can include the grape details if they wish. Admittedly it’s not common but does happen, for example this Condrieu references Viognier on the front label:If you think about it, in the old days before mass travel, the grape growing farmers probably had little idea of the breadth of grape varieties across the continent and were probably only growing one or two local varieties which adapted/evolved to the conditions or a totally random field blend suited. The variation in the wine locally would be due to the particular local characteristics of soil, aspect, altitude, weather exposure, microclimate etc. and the skill of the winemaker. European winemakers can be very parochial and until recently, it wouldn't be unusual for a winemaker to not have tasted wine grown in the next village. Hence French obsession and chauvinism about terroir.
It’s quite a low production wine so was a bit surprised when I saw any reference to grape, let alone on the front label.
LooneyTunes said:
Believe the rule is that they must include certain details but can include the grape details if they wish. Admittedly it’s not common but does happen, for example this Condrieu references Viognier on the front label:
It’s quite a low production wine so was a bit surprised when I saw any reference to grape, let alone on the front label.
Good excuse to post a very interesting wine It’s quite a low production wine so was a bit surprised when I saw any reference to grape, let alone on the front label.
This is at the limit of my knowledge but I think they are confident to do that because it's lieu dit not just appelation contrôlée. Suggests they are very proud and confident of their precise location within the AC
Some of the top wine makers are also pushing against tradition as it restricts the appreciation and market for their wine. It's generally the underperformers that hide behind tradition (looking at you Burgundy)
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