So, you’ve been taken in by the visual appeal, and your connecting on a personal level, it’s time to get busy! Someone pour me a glass of wine! Enough foreplay, let’s get on with it! I’m all fired up and waiting for someone to touch that bottle on the bar with that look in their eye that says, “This one’s for you, baby!” Now when we start talking about the wine element, it’s more than a discussion about the quality. We can’t have a serious discussion about the experience if we don’t factor in the breadth of wines available to be tasted. Moreover, the value of the wine comes very much into play. It’s so heartbreaking to find a great wine that is drastically over-priced.
Score Primer
(1-5) Most, if not all, of the wines are simple. The ratio of good wines (that I might purchase) to fair wines (that I wouldn’t purchase) is less than 20% (or 2 out of 10). The number of wines available for tasting may be three or fewer. The quality of the wines will compel me to pour them out more often rather than finish the taste.
6 The wines are often unmemorable, neither good nor bad. I finish the taste more often in hopes of discovering hidden merits.
7 These are typically wines that have merit but appeal to a demographic in the $15-$22 range. More than half of the offering falls into this category. They are typically higher volume, although they don’t have to be. Sometimes there are surprises, but usually it’s with the reserve wines. The good-to-fair ratio is about 40% (2 out of 5). The tasting offering should be at least five wines.
8 This is the category I put wines that have a very limited offering but they are spectacular in quality and appeal. These are also wines where the good-to-fair ratio is 50% or better with an offering of five or more wines.
9 This where I start to measure more of what I am buying versus what I might buy. The offering is usually large, the good-to-fair ratio is higher than 50% and I feel no guilt about walking out with half of a case. This is a clear indication of the intrinsic value of the wine and how well it’s priced to match.
10 What can I say? These are the wines that I’m extolling the virtues of to everyone I know! More than anything, these are often complex wines that are very pleasurable to drink now. In some cases, I may even consider them to be under priced as compared to my perceived value. The trunk of my car grows by the case load at these stops! Very big offerings and the good-to-fair ratio is 75% or greater. These are wines that I covet, brag about, and share to increase my social standing. That about says it all! No buyer’s remorse here, except maybe that I didn’t buy more!
