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Comment by sliverstorm | Hacker News Reader

I think this article is focusing on the high end of things. I personally had little difficulty distinguishing between a $5 wines and a $20 wine- that is, until I started to develop a taste for harsher drinks. (Now all wine, even the cheap stuff, tastes smooth as silk)

If you boycott expensive wine, should you also avoid sushi and seafood restaurants because you know that cheap fish can be just as enjoyable?

Inexpensive fish might be just as enjoyable, but what about one of the most common varieties of cheap fish- that is to say, week-old fish? Is it just as enjoyable?

Oh, and last thought- how can people be tricked into thinking a white is a red? I can see the "floral hints" and "buttery accents" being easy to confuse, but the reds I like are extremely dry, and every white I've ever had is sweet and sticky, sometimes even saccharine. Are there whites and reds that blur this boundary?

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Yeah, that last paragraph is kind of trolling the readers. When you say fast food restaurants "dilute the quality of their meat," you're actually talking about possible jeopardy to human health stemming from awful factory-farm practices or poor quality control w.r.t. suppliers -- so price is (by and large) an indicator of a very meaningful qualitative difference. Not at all the same scenario as with wine.

What do you mean by harsher drinks? I can (and do, fondly) drink whiskey straight but I can't get into the taste of red wine.

Scotch, IPAs, double IPAs, etc. I found cheap reds were mostly distinguished by thinly veiled alcohol content and bitterness, but the difference in bitterness between a good wine and a poor wine is much smaller than the difference between a poor wine and a glass of scotch.

As for not enjoying the taste, my tongue is not yours, but is your issue simply with the flavor? Or do you find it too bitter/alcoholic? If it was the former, that's a matter of taste. If it was the latter, I would indeed be surprised given your affection for whiskey.

There's plenty of whites that aren't sweet at all - although I doubt I'd mistake a Californian chardonnay for a red, I'd also never describe one as sweet and sticky. For that matter, there's also tons of sweet red wines. I can tell you've never been subjected to a glass of Manischewitz on high holidays. (Lucky you.)

I don't know why the article makes such a big deal about mistaking a red for a white. For example, I could very easily mistake a red lambrusco for a white champagne - they taste pretty similar.

Ok, thanks. Yeah, I probably have only been exposed to a small cross-section of reds. I started with merlot and pinot, liked what I had, and haven't felt the need to branch out yet.

Man, I'm sort of jealous - if you get into wine, you have so many awesome first experiences in front of you! When you want to try more reds, I'd look at some cabernet sauvignons and syrahs.

Yes there are whites and reds that blur that boundary a lot. A light red beaujolais (often served chilled) could easily be white, just to pick one. You should try some more kinds of wine!

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