I’ve done a couple of recent presentations and seminars, and at each, most of the winemakers, when presenting their wines, talked about the ‘noticeable minerality’ or ‘classic cassis flavors’. I was just wondering how you felt about this - do you appreciate it when winemakers do this or not and why? And note that they are talking as you are trying said wine . . .
Cheers 
In general, I’d appreciate hearing a winemaker’s tasting notes. My reaction to it would depend on (a) what I thought of the winemaker and (b) whether I thought I was getting some bona fide discussion of the wine versus just a sales or marketing pitch.
A wine shouldn’t need a winemaker’s explanation to be appreciated, but I think some background about how the wine was made, the vineyard, the vintage, the history of the wine, and the winemaker’s perception of the wine are quite interesting and very often add to your enjoyment and appreciation.
I think of it somewhat like when an author or director talks about a work. You shouldn’t need to know about the author or director and his or her thoughts, but sometimes it can be illuminating and add to your experience to know what some of the motivations, ideas and emotions were.
Chris,
Thanks for the reply. I agree that background information is helpful in understanding the thought process of the winemaker, the specifics of that vintage, of the vineyard, of fermentation and elevage techniques, etc.
I was referring more to what you alluded to in your first paragraph. And I would find it hard to distinguish between (a) and (b) in most cases, even with winemakers who I ‘trust and admire’ . . .
Cheers!
At least IMO, it is what it is, and whether you think a winemaker is (a) or (b), I find it hard to imagine that you could forbid/discourage a winemaker from commenting about his or her wines if you have already invited them to the tasting.
I’m generally in the camp of “more information is good”, so I don’t see the downside to this, even if the winemaker (or retailer, for that matter) is making an unabashed sales pitch.
Larry, I’m not crazy about winemakers (or anyone else, for that matter) doing what you mentioned in your original post. I like to be able to form my own thoughts on what I’m sensing from the wine without that external “power of suggestion.” I know that can be tough for some people to refrain from describing their wines while presenting them, and I don’t mind them discussing a wine in those terms after I’ve tasted it, but not before or while I’m tasting it. I find it unnecessary and distracting, and of course once someone mentions “noticeable minerality,” “cassis,” etc., it becomes tough not to search for that, even if I don’t pick it up initially. It’s so easy to put the idea of a particular smell, flavor, etc. into someone’s mind and alter their perception of a wine, whether or not that’s the intent.
Bob, you are pretty tolerant about this. Would you be as accepting at a hard sell presentation of Martinelli’s finest?
If a wine interests me, than I often enjoy hearing its story. Much less fun if the wine doesn’t rate more than a meh (unless the story is really unusual/colorful). Not much fun politely biting your tongue if you think a wine sucks. I don’t see a problem with winemakers offering their tasting impressions. I’ve found many winemakers to be much more critical (and perceptive) about their own wines. Then again, sometimes it’s just fun to be around people who are really excited.
RT
I generally like to see notes on the wine I buy, and I prefer that the winemaker gives it a try rather than shoving TWA/WS/IWC scores in my face. But I also feel that the notes should somehow give me a reference frame for the wine in terms of what the vintage was like in general and for the vineyard. Also some words on what to expect in the glass in terms of balance, length, structure etc.
That said, if I see a tasting note for a wine that has just been bottled with 10 different descriptors for flowers and fruits, then I know that the person writing the note is mostly trying to impress me with vocabulary. That too is an important piece of info as I’d rather be impressed with the wine and so would perhaps pass.
Rich, the Martinelli would “speak for itself” when you tasted it, no? No different than someone describing your typical California Chard as Burgundian as I’m picking wood out of my teeth.
The way Larry has described the setting - i.e., the winemaker is present while his wines are being poured at a tasting - wouldn’t you expect him or her to say something about said wines? To be honest, I’d find it stranger if they remained silent.
Larry–My personal opinion is that if the winemaker is giving me information I may not already have (or can figure out), then that’s a positive. If they want to discuss vineyards, winemaking philosophy, etc., then I see the value of those comments while I’m tasting the wine. But if the winemaker is simply telling me what they smell/taste at the same time I’m smellling/tasting the wine, I don’t need that. At best it’s distracting; at worst it’s an attempt to bias the audience.
Of course, all bets are off if the winemaker is pouring from an Erlenmeyer Flask, eh? 
Bruce
Bob,
As I stated above, I have no problem when a winemaker describes how the wines are made, vineyard sourcing, barrel usage, etc. To me, these are all objective descriptors and are not ‘leading’ at all.
To me, the problem does arise when a winemaker says ‘mineral’ three or four times (or even once) when describing a wine due to the power of suggestion . . . and I believe this holds even for ‘experienced wine consumers’.
And as far as Martinelli goes, that brings up a whole other situation - those who are predisposed to dislike a winery or wine due to previous experiences or ‘reputation’ may allow these factors to cloud their ability to more ‘objectively’ evaluate said wines. And, of course, the opposite is true as well.
Cheers.
Most winemakers are pretty good at tailoring what they say about their wines depending on who’s tasting, whether it’s someone ITB or a consumer that the winemaker perceives to have a certain level of knowledge/interest. I find it’s interesting and helpful to hear many of the things that Larry listed in his reply post above - “the thought process of the winemaker, the specifics of that vintage, of the vineyard, of fermentation and elevage techniques, etc.” - but not a description of how the wine smells or tastes. That’s something I’d prefer to decide for myself without someone else’s input. But I realize that other people like hearing wine descriptors, so I can understand that it’s not an easy situation when a winemaker is presenting a wine to a larger group of people, as in a seminar setting that Larry mentioned in his initial post. In that situation, not everyone wants to hear the same things about a wine, not everyone smells/tastes the wine at the same time, etc.
Agreed. You’d expect the winemaker to discuss a few facts and/or throw in some interesting tidbits to set the stage for the tasting. Absolutely no need for them to be eloquent. Building positive anticipation is a useful marketing skill (What’s the old expression…“Sell with cheese, buy with fruit”?). Anyway, it does seem more courteous to let tasters form their own initial impressions. I don’t see the harm in having the winemaker add a few of his own tasting impressions if he’s so inclined, especially if they relate to some unique feature…i.e.: “Doesn’t this smell like freshly sawn oak floor boards? We strive for that with our 200% new oak regimen”. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
RT
From the fact that you asked the question, I think it’ll be fine if you do it, Larry. It sounds like you are attuned to the gag-inducing quality of the descriptions on many labels and winery web sites, which typically sound like they were written by the marketing director.
If you want to do this in person, offer your observations modestly, with an appreciation of the subjectivity of tasting, and with explanations. For example, “That oak isn’t new oak; it’s just a quality of the syrah”; “You might perceive this as tannic, but the tannin levels aren’t that high – it’s actually acid you’re picking up”; “That banana-oil you said you smelled is from the semillon we blend in”; “This isn’t showing much fruit now, but that’s typical – it takes three or four years for this wine to show its stuff.” Or some such. (I remember Manfred Prum explaining at a tasting of 99 rieslings in 2000 that his wines actually had high acid levels, but didn’t show that because they were so ripe. That was useful to know because the acid was definitely hidden.)
It’s an interesting question you ask. I’ve rarely had winemakers comment on the taste of their wines in the cellar or at events. I was at a dinner with Eric Texier of the Rhone and Steve Edmunds of California a week ago, and they talked about the vineyards and how the wines were made, but never gave descriptors.
Thoughts already posted on a winemaker sharing insights on vineyards, growing season, harvest - always appreciated. And I think it’s a natural extension to follow on to that discussion with how these factors affected the wine in terms of its aromatics and taste profile. I particularly enjoy it, if its a winery I follow, if a comparison is made to other vintages of the wine. But I shut down pretty quickly if I feel like I’m being BS’d .
A winemaker, or anyone pouring a wine, yapping away about how it smells and tastes while I am initially smelling and tasting, is being as obnoxious as f**k. It seriously detracts from the experience. I don’t go to a movie to have someone who’s seen it sitting behind me endlessly yapping spoilers.
Different people tasting have very different levels and areas of interest. You can engage them when you pour each wine, then pay attention and let them set the tone. Don’t be like a puppy jumping on everyone that walks in the room. Some people have zero interest in human interaction, some are interacting with friends and just want their glass filled, others are actively taking notes and don’t want to be interrupted while doing so, but will engage you when they have questions.
I’d just as soon not have anyone tell me what I’m supposed to be tasting; background on the winegrowing and making, etc., that’s information that might be interesting to know. But someone else’s tasting impressions are just opinions, and not so helpful to me since his cassis might be my cherry.
I never want anyone to tell me what they think a wine tastes like while I am tasting that wine. Whether or not they made the wine has no impact on that.
I hate it. I usually reply ‘is that what I will be tasting?’
I don’t like hearing tasting notes until after I’ve tasted, and when I’m giving a presentation I observe this rule. Reps for the big W/S companies are trained to do it, as far as I can tell, and it’s really irritating.