May 27, 2003 10:34 PM
8671 Views
(Updated May 27, 2003 10:34 PM)
If little learning is dangerous the feeble minds who have collectively so far commented on wines at this site have really done a good job of castrating the beverage and throwing the good bit to the dogs!
I read the reviews and lost count(rather early) of all the errors(factual, typographique, etc.) and will try to set the record straight.
AOC, DOC, DOCG are just very generic terms to help us identify a wines provenance.it does NOT comment on its quality.just like a guy could be living in a posh district yet have a shambles of a house and a flea-bin of a lifestyle, similarly a vintner could be under AOC St emilion and make horsepiss and pass it off as wine.(and after having read the preceeding reviews I know exactly who has been vouching for such stuff!)
an AOC means stricter controls but it also means higher taxes to be paid to the state.it means adherence to certain fixed grape varieties and so on n so forth.many vintners who go against such regulations(or the ones with smart business snese) naturally are denied an AOC.however it doesnt stop anyone making good wines.Sassicaia from italy, mas de domasse gassac, domaine de trevallon are all table wines by classification but also the most expensive and sought after wines in the world.whew!
the new world(countries outside europe making wines) do not believe in such a system and prefer naming wines after grape varietals.easier to relate with and a more effective tool for marketing.of late however california is going the old world way by attaching much importance to its wine producing regions(sonoma county, napa valley, russian river valley.) aussies likewise.
and as for the vintage, one has to know what the year was like in the region where the wine comes from and only then we can comment on its characteristics.
and hotels and restos FYI price wines at about 2 to 3 times the price they procure them at.then u have the taxes but they r lesser nowadays so its not all that bad!
so now if we address the issue of buying wines u will see that its not the classification or the price Vs. vintage simply but also a study of what we order as well.i could go on but go chek out sansula.com - I worked for the company and the site is a good mirror to my efforts.get bak to me here if u have any more queries.damn I normally charge for such advise but here, the wrong just had to be(W)righted!
