Wine tasting

When reading articles about wine or hearing tasters describing what aspects of it appeal to them – or the opposite - should we accept those descriptions that are alien to our experience of that particular class of wine? One of Spain's greatest wine writers, José Peñin, thinks not. He went to war with such practices some time ago, and in his sights are what he refers to as 'modern wine critics and journalists'. Peñin argues that those elaborate metaphors comparing wine to fruits, spices, or even abstract concepts, are often misleading, as tasting experiences vary daily and between individuals.

Peñin quotes one of Jancis Robinson's team describing Chardonnay and Xarel-lo wines like 'a Vespa climbing a cobbled street' or 'licking Himalayan salt crystals.' Peñin sees such verbosity as more about ego and performance than useful information for consumers, and many winos will agree with him. We have all been there. In a blind tasting, for example, it is odd how many participants latch onto the first description voiced by someone. Instead of mentioning subjective smells and tastes, we should have a preference for terms such as 'balanced', 'fruity', 'elegant', or 'full-bodied' —which have a concrete relationship with real objects.

• Eresma Sauvignon Blanc Vendimia 2022

• Segovian wines do not have any established reputation but both the reds and the whites are surprisingly good and superb value This award-winning Sauvignon Blanc from the Eresma Bodega is well worth seeking out. Around ten euros

He also criticises aroma kits, widely used in tasting courses, for their artificial intensity, which differs from the subtlety of real wine aromas. In conclusion, the author favours a more restrained and objective approach, like that of his Guía Peñín, which, while sometimes dull and can hardly be recommended as bedside reading, provides clearer and more consumer-friendly descriptions.