

Wine’s Pleasures: Are They All in Your Head? - baha_man
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/dining/07pour.html?_r=1%26oref=slogin%26partner=rssnyt%26emc=rss%26pagewanted=all

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rkowalick
While not a wine drinker, I do love beer and bourbon a lot and I thoroughly
agree with a lot of this article.

A year or so ago, I spent a lot of time on beer rating sites like
beeradvocate.com. You read about beers with high ratings and beers with low
ratings. Ratings are stupid! There are plenty of very highly rated beers that
I can't stand, and plenty of poorly rated beers that I really love. There are
exotic, rare, extremely expensive beers that can do no wrong, and there are
typical, everyday offerings that many scoff at.

Long story short, I stopped looking at ratings. I make my own decisions about
what I want to drink. I know what I like better than any other person. Taking
suggestions from people is fine, but subconsciously basing my approval of a
beverage based on the average opinion of several thousand people is
ridiculous.

Context is also extremely important as well. A thick, heavy stout that rivals
the alcohol content of most wines is a terrible thing in the blistering heat.
I also can't drink several extremely hoppy beers with food. Hitting on the
ideal beer for the mood you are in or the food you are eating is far more
important than a seemingly universal rating system for quality. There are
plenty of highly regarded beers I can't see being enjoyed with my favorite
foods. There are beers I absolutely love the first time and can't stand the
second time, and visa versa.

In short, buy beer or any beverage with an open mind. Try something new or
follow your instincts. Whatever the case, don't let anyone tell you how much
you like something.

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bridgetroll
Anyone for Cuivre Reserve Château Bottled Nuit San Wogga Wogga?

[http://www.phespirit.info/montypython/australian_table_wines...](http://www.phespirit.info/montypython/australian_table_wines.htm)

