The Homa Files

From WSJ …

According to a study published in Science magazine 93% of the world’s population is completely predictable.

“Spontaneous individuals are largely absent from the population.”

* * * * *

Restaurant wine lists, however, are much less predictable than people — one list may look nothing like another.

Lists of wines are typically organized by:

• country of origin (sometimes with maps)
• grape type, e.g. Chardonnay, Cabernet,
• intensity (light, medium and full-bodied)
• color (red, white and rosé).
• texture and aroma (“lush” or “floral”)
• emotion they presumably embody (“intense and brooding”).
• prices and scores

There are shortcomings to every kind of wine list and certain compromises must always be made. And yet, there a few changes that could easily improve each type of list.

• lists that emphasize geography should contain maps
• grape-oriented lists should come with a brief story—a profile describing  the grape’s characteristics, flavor and history
• flavor and style notes should be pared back — keep the practical language of weight and texture but  eliminate words like “sexy” and “love.”

A wine list, after all, is ultimately a sales tool.

It can be complemented by a person who talks about wine — or better yet, offers a free taste.

Excerpted from WSJ: Building a Better Wine List, August 7, 2010 :
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703545604575407470969205984.html?mod=djemonwine_t

This entry was posted on August 12, 2010 at 6:11 am and is filed under Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.