1 Wine Dude

A Serious Wine Blog For the Not-So-Serious Drinker

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here!
    • PR & Samples
    • Press & What-Have-You
  • Wine
    • by badge
      • crowd pleaser
      • elegant
      • kick-ass
      • overachiever
      • sexy
    • Full Reviews
    • Mini-Reviews
  • Stalk
    • Follow me on News Break!
    • facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • pinterest
    • twitter
    • YouTube
  • Sign Up
  • Books
  • Services
  • Contact
Menu
1 Wine Dude

Sweet Wine Drinkers, (A Lack Of) Panties, And How We Experience Wine2 min read

Posted on July 26, 2011July 26, 2011 by 1WineDude

in wine news

According to a recent survey of wine drinkers, headed up jointly by Cornell professor Virginia Utermohlen and controversial wine guru Tim Hanni, wine consumers who prefer sweet wines often hyper-experience across their other senses.  Apparently to the point that they might forego their undergarments entirely:

“People who love sweet or delicate wines are typically what we call Sweet or Hypersensitive tasters. They live with vivid sensations that people at the other end of the spectrum cannot imagine and will often prefer Moscato wines. Those more tolerant tasters would prefer wines with more tannins, for example… people with very sensitive palates are also more sensitive to light, sound, taste and touch. The touch aspect can be significant in their clothing, as the manufacturers’ tags irritate their skin and cause them to wear underclothing inside out, or in many cases, none at all.”

So… based on what we know about women’s wine habits from recent studies and polls… if you have amorous intent then you’re best bet might be buying your date a bottle of the most expensive, and sweetest (assuming she’s one of those hyper-sensorial types) rose wine possible.  If I were Sutter Home, I might increase my White Zin prices by several percentage points in anticipation of the windfall (after adding some more sugar to them).

Just sayin’.

But there is a serious side to all of this for us wine geeks…

It tells us that we probably don’t all taste the same, and reinforces that the best thing that we can do for getting our wine recommendations is to follow not one wine criticism voice but several, giving preference to those tasters whose sensory perception seems to align best to our personal tastes.

Tim Hanni’s work, though controversial, I think is gaining traction – and has a sort of spiritual alignment with the cosmopolitan wine tendencies of Millennials, and the focus on bringing tasting power from a select few critics and back into the hands of the people.  The latter is a stance that’s received a lot of publicity in recent months thanks to books like The Wine Trails, which urges consumers to taste wines blind, define their own palate preferences, and buy accordingly (all while controversially taking shots at the established wine media along the way).

While it could certainly be argued that Hanni is overstating the case when it comes to our sensory experience discrepancies, there’s no denying that key differences exist in how any two people perceive a given experience, and it feels like folly to assume that food, taste, and wine should be excluded:

“People often argue about the characteristics they perceive in a wine,” Hanni says. “It’s as though they’re not tasting the same thing — even experts tasting from the same bottle. These variables are evident in a spectrum of attitudes and behaviors — from the volume on television, temperature in a room, use of spices or the sheets in the bed.”

Personally, the day when people trust their own palates and can confidently navigate a wider group of experts providing recommendations based on varied tasting preferences couldn’t arrive soon enough. Vive la différence!  How about you?

Cheers!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

18 thoughts on “Sweet Wine Drinkers, (A Lack Of) Panties, And How We Experience Wine2 min read”

  1. 1WineDude says:
    July 26, 2011 at 9:59 am

    Just received an email from someone about this post (will keep them anon. for now) and HAD to share one quote from it:

    "The great thing about Ice Wine is it actually tastes better when licked off of certain “body parts” than out of the Reidel crystal glasses we used to use for sampling."

    :-)

  2. Wine Harlots says:
    July 26, 2011 at 10:02 am

    Oh geez, Joe! It’s too early in the morning on the Left Coast for this. I spit up my uppity-over-priced coffee!

    Not generally a sweet wine drinker – but manufacter’s labels always chafe! (One a harlot, always a harlot!)

    Cheers!

    Nannette Eaton

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 10:08 am

      Thanks, Nannette – too early for this for the Wine Harlots?!?? Say it ain't so!!! :)

  3. @wineywomen says:
    July 26, 2011 at 10:25 am

    Well, I will be looking at those sweet wine drinkers in a whole new light…. What does that say about us Bold, Full Red wine drinkers that like those tannins and furry feeling on our tongue???

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 10:42 am

      Not sure, wineywoman… maybe we need to create a flavor profile / preferred undergarment poll? :)

  4. Matt Esser says:
    July 26, 2011 at 11:18 am

    Joe, I can't be sure but I don't think that there was actually an article here. All I saw was a picture…

    :-)

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 11:20 am

      Matt – HA! Now you know why I picked that photo..

  5. Joe Herrig says:
    July 26, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    Feather in the cap of a good retailer who knows his/her customers and recommends based on personal preference and palate, rather than a score, marketing, or what's got to move quickly. Frankly, I'm surprised more of the boutique retailers I know don't keep profiles (info volunteered by consumer) of their regular customers to help with recommendations, marketing, etc. And yes, I wish we all trusted our palates more, admitting I can be influenced to like something more than I actually do by the opinions of those I know and trust.

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      Thanks, Joe – I know that Moore Bros. does keep profiles similar to that, so that they can recommend items to those customers when they come back to the store.

  6. sonomalass says:
    July 26, 2011 at 2:10 pm

    Please DO put together a taste & underwear preference poll!

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      Sonomalass – ok… in my spare time…! :)

  7. Michael says:
    July 26, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    I just don't understand what all of this means. I agree that the best possible path is to find reviewers who have a similar outlook to your own and follow them, along with trusting yourself to know what you like. A good wine store or somelier should be able to guide you to wines you might like based on what you can tell them about your preferences. But I don't entirely get the line Hanni is drawing between those who like sweet or delicate wines and those who like others. Part of what I like about wine is the variety. I like port, I like sauternes, and some moscatos, (although some ice wines are just too gloppy) and also Pino Noir, and Merlot, and Rhone blends, and a good Cab (if it's not over oaked). Why is it either or? And is "delicate" a new word for boring?

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 3:43 pm

      Michael – I suspect the lines are drawn to attract some attention to the findings. The reality is probably more fuzzy – like you, I enjoy just about everything (though Retsina is, admittedly, a tough sell for me…). Cheers!

  8. Jon Rogers - Wines Without The Mystery says:
    July 26, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    Interesting article and comments. I have met Tim Hanni and participated in a seminar of his. I have been teaching a non-snob approach to wine for 29 years. The comment about people not experiencing the same is elemental. That’s one of the great things about wine, food, art. You are right (correct) for your taste. If we all tasted the same, pun intended, life would be boring.
    Second, most rose’s are dry. I would be suggesting to folks to try the myriad styles of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and Muscat.
    I encourage my students, ages 21-91, to enjoy all wines. What we drink should be determined by the time of day, year, food, who we are drinking with, and most importantly, the best wine available to us at that time.
    Lastly, I don’t agree with the blind tasting thing until people have a general understanding of the premium grapes. Otherwise, they are grasping at straws.
    Thanks.
    Jon

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 26, 2011 at 6:27 pm

      Thanks Jon – the Rose reference is a throwback to another slightly-off-color take on wine news that many women polled now view wine (especially rose) as essential on a date (link is in the article).

  9. pengertian says:
    May 11, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    I just don't understand what all of this means. I agree that the best possible path is to find reviewers who have a similar outlook to your own and follow them, along with trusting yourself to know what you like……

    1. 1WineDude says:
      May 11, 2014 at 2:31 pm

      Pengertian, surely you’ve more imagination than that… ;-)

Comments are closed.

Dude’s New Books

Wine Taster's Guide Now Available!

“Bravo! Wine Taster's Guide is a perfect primer for both wine novices and learning enthusiasts." ―Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier

Wine Taster's Journal Now Available!

"Wine Taster's Journal belongs in everyone's cellar… preferably wine-stained, dog-eared, and well-used.” ―Brian Freedman, wine/spirits/travel columnist

Get Some Wine

Popular Stuff

  • Wine in the Time of Coronovirus, Part 21: Touchable (Tasting Untouched By Light)
    Wine in the Time of Coronovirus, Part 21: Touchable (Tasting Untouched By Light)
  • Carignan, My Wayward Son (Chile's Carignan Renaissance for NVWA)
    Carignan, My Wayward Son (Chile's Carignan Renaissance for NVWA)
  • Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For January 11, 2021
    Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For January 11, 2021
  • Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For December 21, 2020
    Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For December 21, 2020
  • A Quiet Resistance (Eyrie Vineyards Original Vines Pinot Noir, In Retrospect)
    A Quiet Resistance (Eyrie Vineyards Original Vines Pinot Noir, In Retrospect)

About + Contact

Joe Roberts

Joe Roberts

Certified Specialist of Wine & WSET Advanced
Author, speaker, consultant, wine judge, & critic.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS Feed

Find Stuff

Sign up, lushes!

Join 36,566 other subscribers

Fine Print

This site is licensed under Creative Commons.

Code of Ethics and Privacy Policies.

Play nice!

Get The Guide

Wine Tasters Guide Footer
#1 New Release in Amazon's Wine Tasting category
This site uses cookies. Duh. Cookie Policy
©2021 1 Wine Dude
Yo yo YO!

Wine Tasters Guide InstagramWell, hello there!

If you like what you’re reading (and want to like more of what you’re drinking), consider subscribing.

If you’re up for a more immersive wine learning experience, check out my books and other services.

Cheers!

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.