Why do you write tasting notes?

WINE TALK
1

Why do you take tasting notes? For me, it’s a way to help me remember details I would never otherwise stand a chance of remembering – for example, I just commented on WIML’s post on the Niepoort - Vertente that I liked previous vintages, but not as much as he liked the ‘06; I went and checked my old TN’s, and realized that I actually did like a previous vintage as much as he did the ‘06 – without my TN, I would have essentially forgot how much I liked that wine. Reading the note brought the experience back to me.

… that, and I think it’s fun.

2

To remember.

Sure, I can also say to check on the evolution of a wine over the course of years, but mostly it’s to remember what I have consumed and what I liked/didn’t like about it. Off hand I can’t remember what I had last week for the most part, so it’s good to be able to go back and see.

And I agree with you…it’s fun…

3

I write notes and rate wines, but find myself going more to the notes I wrote for future reference than I do with the ratings, because my ratings are bunk, frankly. I think I’ve scored one wine 80 points, the rest are 85-97 - so small of a range, it’s silly.

My notes, however, typically will give me an idea of what I really thought of the wine, and allow me to judge whether or not to open another bottle, buy more, etc.

I look at others’ notes for the same guidance - I try not to look as much at ratings as I do the descriptions people have in their notes. Some won’t like a light bodied pinot, for example, and rate it poorly as a result, while I might be looking for just that, as an example.

4

For me the reasons for doing TNs are to learn, to extend the experience of tasting the wine, to compare my evaluation to others (as is increasingly possible on CT), and to have a database for comparing my prior experiences with the wine, if any. At this point (11,200 TNs in CellarTracker and counting), I partly do it too because my gang expects it of me, and some of them have grown to rely on me keeping a record of our shared experiences. Primarily, though, I do it because I enjoy it.

5

You sir, are the robocop of TN’s (along with Joe Dulworth.) You both are machines and are great at writing TN’s.

6

Dr.BigJ, I presume?
How’d you get an Admin job HERE?!?!!?

I do tasting notes for work, but not at home. We taste 30+ wines a week most weeks, so I have to keep them in order and relay them to our store’s owner, who ends up with final OK on most wines. When I’m home I’m turning the brain off usually, so any notes are more impressions. Probably why I never post tasting notes online.

7

I find that when I write something down I remember it better, so for me I guess it is to keep a record in order to remember what I have had, when I have had it and what I thought of it. Worked well so far. I am always amazed at how easily I recall a certain wine that I have had in the past and what I thought of it.

Interestingly enough, I have recently gotten lazy about writing notes, and have noticed that most of the wines I have had lately all kind of run together in my mind.

Plus I think it’s fun, and in the case of entering it into CT, I hope that it is helpful in someway to someone else out there.

8

So Liotta knows what to drink [stirthepothal.gif]

9

[winner.gif]

I couldn’t agree more…

10

I write TNs because, as of now any way, it is the only consistent writing I do. So really I do it purely for selfish reasons. I went to school to write and had every intention of making it a career. However my plans were derailed by a girl, who I subsequently and happily married. I rarely (probably 98% off the time) write anything down. The notes I write come from memory. I generally have no problem telling you about wines I have had in the past, when I have had them approximately and how they showed. Since I began writing notes I feel like my reliance on memory has become less necessary- however I certainly don’t post everything I taste, even many exceptional wines.

What I think is an even more interesting question, at least to me, is why people read certain TNs and not others? I read just about everything.

11

It might sound a bit altruistic but I do it mostly to give back to the wine community.

12

For those of you who write TNs, how many of you only look at your scores when you go back to read them? [berserker.gif]

13

When I do read them (I actually don’t go back that often) I read the whole note. I’m usually going back looking for information for a fellow forum member or whether I should stand it up a few days, decant, etc…

14

And we have a guy in Oregon who claims to taste 12,000 wines a year. Hmph. Your number I believe, because it seems I’ve read about 3/4 of them and I know you. His . . . not so much.

15

I am more interested in reading the descriptors I used, especially when I am comparing multiple notes on the same wine, than I am the score. However, I do break down my score using the 50, 5, 15, 20, 10 method, so when I am comparing multiple notes on the same wine I will look to see not only if my score changed, but also how it changed.

16

I dont assign scores at all. I either hate a wine, think its ok, like it a lot or love it. 91 vs 87? means nothing to me.
The only number scores that mean anything to me from anyone I trust (and the list grows shorter by the day) are 98-100. To me that reads: This wine could not be any better. That, as long as my palate aligns with the taster, is a wine I feel the urge to seek out to try. The rest I can wait until I run into them.

17

To remember and track evolution of wines. I don’t write about all the wines I drink, especially if I’ve had the same one too recently for there to be any material evolution, except when there seems to be material variance. I used to keep written notes, but, after I lost a whole bunch of notes, I started my wine blog as a wine diary of sorts. After a few months in, I started adding pictures to the entries.

I never assign numerical scores to wines.

18

I don’t take notes anymore. I know that sharing impressions helps the community, but after XX years of doing so, I find that it started interfering with my enjoyment of the wine itself. Plus, I don’t look as much like a dork at restaurants.

19

I write very brief notes, usually less than ten words and record a date consumed in my database. It serves to remind me of my impressions at the time and predictions of future drinkability. I don’t assign points in my notes to myself. I enjoy reading others notes to compare my recent tastings and/or give me a clue on when to drink. I post notes hoping that someone might get the same from my ramblings.

David [drinkers.gif]

20

Like John Liotta, I write them just to write. I don’t keep a big database or go back to see what I wrote.
If I feel moved by a certain wine, it helps me to write it down and see it in front of me.
It reinforces my impression.
Sometimes I will score for fun but my scores are pretty much worthless. It is difficult to cull out the surrounding environment.
I will score higher when I have had great food and company. I have seen that for sure.

Re: Reading specific notes. I think sometimes you gravitate to certain kinds of wine you enjoy. If I see a note on the newest Cali cab, I am less likely to read that
than a Burgundy or Rhone note. If I see a note on a new Loire wine, I will be drawn to that. Beaujolais too. Probably not so much to a new note on California syrah. Just my preferences at this point in life and not a slight.