While watching the Oscars tonight, I began thinking more about the role of the wine critic - as compared to the role of the movie critic. Just as "experts" vote on movies each year, wine critics vote on wine awards each year as well, at various competitions throughout the world. But how meaningful are these awards, if they are based on subjectivity and are bound to be influenced by human error?
If winemaking, like movie making, is viewed as an art, then maybe we should view the role of the critic as interesting but not authoritative or completely accurate. Critics, just like artists, are subjective to some degree. In thinking about whether or not a personal preference equation could be created for wine based on the combined reviews of these critics (as well as personal data), I wonder about other goods for which a personal preference equation could be created - food, music, movies, books. Can the Pandora model be extended successfully to other areas or industries?
Possibly - I think the idea has potential. But music is generally less expensive than some of these other goods - and Pandora actually provides the good (music itself) at zero, or very low, cost. People who want to treat wine as a CPG may not want the complexity - and thus the implied variety - that such a personal preference equation might offer. For these individuals, they may simply want to go to the store and pick out from a choice of 6 wines from each category - reds, whites, roses, sparkling - in 5 to 10 minutes. As long as the price point is reasonable and the wines are drinkable, this may be "good enough" to fill their needs. And for people who love to learn about and explore wine, the idea of a personal preference equation might be limiting - they may want to challenge their palates, to continue to reach beyond the range to which they are accustomed, and to allow for organic and even unexpected growth and changes in those personal taste preferences. But I do think such a quantitative analysis could be useful for a group in the middle of the spectrum, who don't fall on either end; the question is how many consumers fall into this category, and are they interested enough to spend the time - and the money - crafting their own personal preference map?
This is a really interesting post, Anne. It's a debate that my colleagues had often at The Washington Post, where I was surrounded by art, movie, music and food critics. I think there are a lot of similarities between film and wine industries, and the criticism very much drives the upper end of these sectors. Just as people read the New Yorker to know what a critic thinks about independent films, wine critics are incredibly important because they know more about the craft than the traditional consumer. In all types of criticism, there is often a critique that democratic views or personalized preferences via algorithms could overtake the critic's prominence. It never quite works because people want to be sophisticated. I think it is human nature to be told what is fashionable and of "good taste," and this drives many sectors, not only luxury. Readers used to get so upset with Oscar winners and the earlier analysis because they didn't map to democratic tastes. Still, many want to know what experts think. One can say that there is no right or wrong, but there is a deep knowledge that comes with criticism. The best film critics know the filmmaking techniques and the story behind the story that takes years to learn and identify. The same is true of wine, which is why I'll always be partial to critics, even if I disagree with them!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne for your views.
ReplyDeleteTo build on your point. In Asia, consumers are generally risk averse and brand conscious. I wonder if the weight and value of the wine critic will be higher in Asian cultures. That said, dynamics are changing. education levels in major Asian (ex-Japan) cities are rising rapidly. Consumers are more cosmopolitan, and would desire greater choice and seek self-fulfilment to explore and expand their palette. This will tend feed into your second point, and the opportunity for "pandora-like" services for wine in the emerging markets.