Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Wine critics love cat pee, but hate wet dog
It's easy to make fun of wine critic-speak. Some of it sounds bizarre but used properly it's a specific vocabulary for talking about wine flavors and aroma. This article explains how cat-pee aroma in some wines can be good, yet wet dog is bad.
"Cat pee" in wine vocabulary means a certain muskiness; a green, herbaceous aroma. It's considered a positive characteristic of Sauvignon Blancs. Whereas "wet dog" is a foul aroma caused by a spoilage yeast called Brettanomyces.
I understand the need for a vocabulary but were these the best terms they could think of? Who wants to drink a wine after being told of its "cat pee" aroma?
"Cat pee" in wine vocabulary means a certain muskiness; a green, herbaceous aroma. It's considered a positive characteristic of Sauvignon Blancs. Whereas "wet dog" is a foul aroma caused by a spoilage yeast called Brettanomyces.
I understand the need for a vocabulary but were these the best terms they could think of? Who wants to drink a wine after being told of its "cat pee" aroma?
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