It can take years to build trust. This is especially true in the wine business. I have spent the last twenty years of my life learning about wine, but especially learning how to understand what it is that individuals are looking for when it comes to buying a bottle. The range goes from the discriminating palate to the person who says “just give me a cheap red, they all taste the same”. Now when I say discriminating I am using the definition of one who is analytical and can note distinctions or differences with nicety, not the definition of one who has excellent taste or judgement. I say this because other then the later example we all have excellent taste if we know what we like. That being said, with all the different approaches to purchasing wine it takes some skill and powers of observation to be able to recommend the right wine to the right person. I will give you a couple of examples to help you see my point.
I have a good friend who comes into my wine department on a regular basis. His analysis of wine starts with the alcohol content. “If it is over 14% alcohol, I probably won’t like it”, are the words most often heard from this gentleman’s mouth. My friend came to this conclusion based on his experience with wine and his palate. He has tried many different wines and knows that from is own trial and error he does not enjoy wines that he considers “Hot” with alcohol or the over-the-top fruit driven versions. He is convinced that this is  wrong and preaches it from the rooftops. He stands by his opinion and I love him for it. Is he right? As far as his own palate goes, he has found the light........ From another persons perspective he may seem whacked!
My job is to find the wine that I know he will try and most likely enjoy. This can be difficult at times because I have found wines that I believe he will like but they are over the line when it comes to alcohol. He has given me the nod on many of the wines I have recommended. I have built a trust with him that I continue to cherish. I have also found wines that, based on what he has told me I know he will like hands down. I have been 100 percent accurate in this department. He is difficult but understandable.
On the other hand, I have a good friend who often comes to me for advice on wine. Unlike the other friend, this guy likes the opposite style of wine. He could care less about alcohol content. His concern is that the wine does not taste too earthy. He does not like the sweaty horse saddle, mushroom, forest floor old world style wines. Again, he has come to this conclusion by trying many different wines and holding true to his palate. My job is to understand his palate and lead him to the right bottle. I have tried to get him to stretch out a bit to no avail. He tells me that I have only led him astray three times out of over one hundred. When he tells me that, I feel a tremendous amount of pride and a lot of humility, knowing that each time he asks me for a recommendation I need to give it careful consideration, knowing that he is looking to me to make a smart purchase. My friend is willing to try different wines as long as it is not to far outside his preferences. Again, I love this guy for what he is. Both of my friends have different palates, and they are both right about what they like. What is my point?
The point of this discussion is the difference between a wine critic and a Wine Steward or a Sommelier. A wine critic judges a wine based on his or her’s criteria. They have perhaps years of experience in tasting wine. They may be what you might call a professional taster. The question is what do they base their judgement of the wine on? Their own perceived view of what is a good or a bad wine. On the other hand, a Wine Steward or a Sommelier has to take into consideration what the person likes to whom they are recommending a wine. I call this the “ eight questions”. There are at least eight questions you have to ask someone in order to find out what they are looking for.

#1. What is your price range? This is very important because it saves you a lot of time. There are many good wines in every price range, you just need to know what they want to spend.

#2. What flavor do you want, red or white.

#3. What varietal are you looking for? Merlot, Cab, Chard, Riesling or        Sauvignon Blanc.





#4.  After the first three questions you need to ask what they like about                   wine. Do they look fruity wines or do they like earthy wines. New                     World vs. Old World. If their preference is Chardonnay, do they like a             lot of oak, or do they like it steel fermented. If their preference is                     Riesling, do they like it sweeter or drier. You must be careful never to              make them feel like either answer is wrong. Whatever they like is                    great! (Question # 4 has two extra questions, bring the total to six).

#7. What do you normally drink? And do you want to try something                     different in the same varietal? If the answer is no then you have                        narrowed it down significantly. If the answer is yes, then you have         someone who wants to experiment. (This Question actually has two         questions bringing the total to eight).

You can see the dramatic difference between a critic and a wine steward. A wine steward has to set their personal preferences aside, ask a lot of questions and try and pick the perfect wine for the person. I know this is an oversimplification since a professional taster has to use a lot of accumulated knowledge and experience to be able to make a judgement about a wine. How long will it age? How does it stand up to past vintages? How does it compare to competing wine producers. I know that some people are impressed that a wine critic  can spit out facts about wine, like the fantastic 2000 & 2005 Bordeaux vintages or the incredible 1998 Oregon pinot noir. This is all well and good, but the bottom line is will we like the wines.
Robert Parker made a comment in his recent Wine Buyers Guide about all the free blogs out there on the subject of wine that create a lot of useless white noise. I detect a touch of arrogance in that statement. I am sure that at some point in his career, other wine critics felt that this new guy on the block was just some white noise. Now that Parker has made his mark in the wine world I guess no one else is allowed to express their opinion on the subject of wine. After all, Parker must be the definitive voice on wine for everyone...... Right? Absolutely not.
   Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Robert Parker Jr. . I read his periodical on a regular basis. As far as a wine expert; he is only as good as his own personal palate. I have had wines that have scored ninety plus points by Parker that I would have scored in the low eighties. Many of the wines that score well in the Wine Enthusiast do not do very well on the retail level. Many have criticized Robert Parker Jr. for using his fame to influence wine makers to make their product to fit his personal taste in wine. True or not, Mr. Parker has done well for himself in the wine business.
   The bottom line is this. When you go to a wine steward or sommelier that you can trust, they are interested in what you like in a wine. They put their personal preferences aside and search for the wine for you. When you read Parker or the Wine Spectator or Stephen Tanzer, it is now your responsibility to understand what they like and whether you agree with them or not. In this context the job of a wine steward is a lot more difficult. We spend our time searching for those wines that we know will be good for a majority of the customers that look to us for guidance. We put descriptors on the wines that enable our customers to understand what they are purchasing. We take pride in finding the right wine for a customer with a peculiar palate. We never belittle someone for a preference that is starkly different then ours.
Wine critics have their value. They give us something to read, something to learn about and a different viewpoint. They give us some insight on vintages and producers. They introduce us to wines we may never have heard of. They take us to many places we may never get to visit personally. As for purchasing wine, you are far better off looking to that “white noise.” The wine stewards with blogs who give their own critique on wine based on their vast experience on the front lines . . .  helping the folks that come into their stores. Or, simply go into their stores and asking for their help.