We all have them. Here are my top 5!
1. Wine Snobs
I love learning about (and especially drinking!) good wine. But nothing is more annoying than people who turn their nose up at a bottle, or- worse- a beverage director treating a patron disparagingly. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, and in my experience if someone is being a snob about it, they’re either a jerk, or they’re over-compensating (often, both!).
2. Calling all sparkling wine “Champagne”
Unless it’s from the Champagne region of France, please, call it something else. Bubbly. Sparkling wine. If it’s from Spain, call it cava. Italy, Prosecco. I love bubbly (and Champagne!) as much as the next wino, but it’s really and truly not all the same!
3. Close minded wine drinkers
When I was in sales and distribution, I would pour samples of wine at free tastings at retail stores around town. It always completely shocked me when people would decline. It’s free wine! If you hate it, spit it out! When people make blanket statements like, “I don’t drink rosé“, or “I hate [insert varietal] or wine from [insert wherever]”, it drives me insane! The look on someone’s face when they realize they’ve been missing out on something they actually do enjoy is priceless.
4. Wine served at the improper temperature
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a nice restaurant, ordered a bottle of wine, only to have it served too warm. This may sound (gasp!) snobby, but it really does make a difference when you’re shelling out big bucks on a nice night out. Attention to proper storage and service can really make or break the wine experience for me. I like most of my reds slightly chilled- 55-60°F is generally about right for me.
5. Winemakers in the Advertising Business
If you’ve been to one of my classes, you’ve probably heard my adage, “you want a winemaker who puts their money where YOUR mouth is!” Nothing drives me crazier than seeing people purchase wine whose proceeds go to funding commercials, umbrellas or red carpet events. They’re not necessarily all bad wines, but if you’ve seen an ad for the wine just remember, it’s your hard earned bucks that are paying for it!
What are your wine pet peeves? Sound off in the comments section!
Cyndi -
Wine snobbery for sure! Although I was at a tasting recently at a winery in Virginia with a girlfriend who likes wine but is new to it. She made the comment that whatever we were tasting was the same to her as a bottle of Yellowtail. I made a face without thinking, and it really hurt her feelings. It made me realize that as much as wine snobbery is on my list of pet peeves, I need to be more conscientious about not acting like one (even when it’s unintended)! Great list 🙂
AlisonMarriott -
I think we’ve all been guilty of the unintended wine snobbery- my face can be a little *too* transparent sometimes! I always make an effort to validate someone’s opinion- even when they’re comparing Barbaresco to Beaujolais (Hi, Dad!) 😉
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