If by “objectivity” we mean “wholly lacking personal biases”, in wine tasting, this idea can be ruled out. There are too many individual differences among
Category: Philosophy of Food and Wine
Do We Want Nice Wines, True Wines or Different Wines?
Jamie Goode’s recent post “We don’t want our wines to taste nicer, but truer” marks an important distinction, although, as usual, I will want to
Should Wine Tasting Strive for Objectivity? The Yes Argument
In professional wine evaluation the goal of objectivity, avoiding biases that might distort perception, governs the procedures used in tasting wine. Blind tasting, where tasters
Does Alcohol Harm Wine Evaluation?
One of the often repeated objections to the validity of wine criticism is that the influence of alcohol destroys the capacity for good judgment. Unlike
Wine, Desire, Madness
In my Three Quarks column this month I explain why the beauty of wine inspires love and madness.
It’s Time to Let Go of the Idea that Wine Makes Itself
This recent article by Zachary Sussman in Punch provides a much needed corrective to what has become a cliché that winemakers do nothing except let
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 