Beau wants to know and is running a poll on Basic Juice. The simple question is if shelf talkers - those wine descriptions resplendent with a large point score - do they influence your purchasing decision when it comes to wine.
It is a little different in the UK to America. Seldom do wine scores appear on our Shelf Barkers. They might repeat a tasting note from one of the national newspapers (they have wine sections in the Saturday and Sunday editions) but usually they will be personal descriptions from a member of staff; quirky, personal, honest (one would hope). Alternatively, with the big chains, the note will be printed and supplied by head office. But neither will have any type of score blazoned across them. The only exception for this will be high end clarets. It is this market that is so heavily influenced by Robert Parker that those with the readies to buy such fine wines will be instantly aware of Parker Points.
For me I like a personal description on a wine but it is more the region, the grape varieties and of course the price that influences what I buy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-10-2006 @ 3:32PM
Alex said...
I find I usually have an idea of what I want to drink (or what food it's going with) and how much I want to spend ... after that I just ask the staff in the wine shop (OK - this means you do have to pick your wine shop).
I used to go to a brilliant wine shop in Bramley, Surrey. The owner would remember what I had bought in previous visits, ask me how I found different wines and make great suggestions.
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8-10-2006 @ 4:16PM
Kate said...
Actually yes -- they do. Not for the score as much as the description some of which I find more tempting than others, and use them as a guide for the taste I'm looking for.
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8-10-2006 @ 4:31PM
Dan Tannenbaum said...
I do the same thing as Kate. I use the description to find a nice wine. I also have a great store in my hometown with a wonderful selection of winse. Anybody near Newtown, Connecticut should try Taunton Wine and Spirits. Tony is very knowledgable and has never steered me wrong!
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8-10-2006 @ 6:30PM
Hawk said...
I look at talkers for cigars and wine. Why? Because I'm a casual user of both, and I don't want to get something only to go, bleah!
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8-10-2006 @ 10:57PM
calamari said...
Shelf-talkers are tremendously useful. Sure, they're marketing fluff -- but they're reasonably on target for what the flavor is, and the score-to-price ratio gives a rough sense of how much bang you're getting from your buck. I don't want to study wines, and our local wine shop won't give the time of day to someone spending less than $40 a bottle. I wish every wine had a talker.
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8-11-2006 @ 9:01AM
snowbag said...
My liquor store uses "shelf-talkers" with hints from the major ratings lists (Advocate, Parker, etc.) but also features their own descriptions, based on type, price, etc. The latter are more useful: the less personalized ones seem to often come from liquour distributors.
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8-11-2006 @ 10:02AM
mella said...
I also refer to the talker, but again, not for the score. My budget is limited when it comes to purchasing wines, so when I see something unfamiliar, I appreciate the notes on flavor. That way I can confidently buy something I haven't tried before while being reasonably certain that I'll be getting something I find at least drinkable. If I had no talker to give me a clue, I'd stick to only the things I've already had and liked to keep from wasting money on a bottle I didn't like much.
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8-16-2006 @ 3:51AM
Gabriella said...
Andrew, I am such a novice that I rely on them
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