“What kind of wine do you like?” “Would you prefer a Pinot or a Cab?” “Have you had this one before?
As a wine amateur, these persistent questions cause me anxiety. By now, I should have mastered a more polished version of “Uhh, I’m not really sure” (the actual answer to all of those questions). But I haven’t.
A few years ago, I tried in vain to start an Excel sheet listing all of the wines I had tried. There were columns for brand, vintage, tasting notes, and even with whom I had had it, to jog my memory. The sheet made it to all of six entries.
Last year, I turned to technology. There are several apps that allow you track wines, but I’ve ended up using Vivino. With it, you can take a photo of a wine bottle, and it will add that bottle to your list of wines, allow you to rate it, and tell you information on the bottle (tasting notes, grape varietals, average price, etc.). So far, it’s been helpful to recall something I’ve had before, since I now have a list on my phone. It has also helped me think more critically about wine I drink, since it asks you to rate the wines you drink. However, I still have no idea what “my type” is when it comes to wine, and I still linger aimlessly in the wine aisle when trying to find a bottle to bring to a party.
Incidentally, wine experts seem to dislike the apps, perhaps because the app’s price and rating features could skew your perception of the wine. I was once repeatedly told at a GSB Wine Circle event, “You shouldn’t do that… just taste the wine” when trying to log wines with my phone. Alas, getting smart about wine is hard work. But some investors seem optimistic: as raised by Professor Rapp in class, Vivino just raised another $20m this week, and its user base continues to grow.
Has anyone found a good system to better remember and recall wines that you’ve had, and discover your own wine preferences? In the end, maybe I just need to drink more wine.
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