The Numbers Game How can we accept the magic of wine when it’s reduced to a mere number by a judging panel? By David Biggs
T
he Wine-of-the-Month Club judging panel is probably one of the most qualified and experienced groups of wine tasters to be found anywhere in South Africa. The members are all highly qualified and have served on the judging panels of every major wine competition in the country. So, it’s no wonder that their opinions are often sought—and respected. Every week the team faces an array of up to 80 glasses; twenty each of four different wine categories, generally two white and two red. Judges work at their own pace, and in silence. Each wine is examined, sniffed and sipped, and given a score on a scale of up to 200 points. So the wines eventually selected for inclusion in the members’ packs can reasonably be expected to be of good quality and free of faults.
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This might sound rather cold and clinical to an outsider, and have little to do with the reality of wine enjoyment. How can we accept the magic of wine once it has been reduced to a mere number? How can we respect the opinion of a judge who sipped the wine in silent isolation? Wine is there to be shared with friends. Many of us will remember delightful moments of wine shared with good company—the laughter, the wisdom and the surroundings—long after we have forgotten the name on the wine bottle’s label. So what, you may ask, is the point of all the judging and scoring if the quality of the wine is irrelevant? Not irrelevant at all! Whether it is an inexpensive Cinsaut enjoyed at a riverside braai or a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne shared in a lover’s boudoir the wine plays an important role in the total experience. Many writers have spoken of the role wine plays in human life. Galileo described
wine as, “Sunshine held together by water.” Wine writer Hugh Johnson wrote: “All wine associations are with occasions when people are at their best; with relaxation, leisurely meals and the free flow of ideas.” Louis Pasteur said: “Wine is the most healthful and hygienic of beverages.” Author Ernest Hemingway described wine as “The most civilised thing in the world.” Now, in a time of worldwide tensions and pandemic panic it’s good to know there’s that panel of experts sitting regularly in Cape Town to provide Wine-ofthe-Month Club members with a little much-needed health, hygiene and soothing civilisation. Cheers! ‘It’s good to know Wine-of-the-Month Club’s panel of experts sits regularly to provide their members with a little much-needed health, hygiene and soothing civilisation’
2022/03/04 9:48 AM
