Stop being an ass

I don't use this forum to make a lot of grand pronouncements, but something I was listening to the other day really set me off, so I thought I would share it with you, my thousands (er, tens?) of loyal readers. I was listening to a re-run of the podcast of the Splendid Table, where a certain wine expert (I won't name him here, but you can listen to the episode here) was going on about syrah versus shiraz. His basic point was that the Australian style shiraz is a sweet confection barely worthy of the name "wine" and that people of real taste should only drink the "real thing" -- syrah from France. He contended that shiraz and other wines dumb down the drink, and expressed skepticism that it even serves as an easy entree into the wonderful world of wine drinking that leads to further exploration. He talked about shiraz in a derisive, scornful manner, pronouncing the name with spittle on his lips.

This set me off, because it is simply one more example of critics being asses and perpetuating a form of class snobbery. This is the equivalent of a Wagner fan looking down on people who listen to Britney Spears as uncultured. My response is that wine is a beverage that we drink to enjoy its taste, its pairing with food and friends, and, yes, even for its effect on our bodies from the alcohol. If I choose to do that with shiraz, or cheap likker, or Klug champagne, it's really none of the critic's business. It is no more right or wrong to be captivated by a complex, austere, and difficult to fathom great wine, than it is to enjoy a bottle of 2009 Yellow Tail. These are the same people who look down on folks who read so-called mass market fiction and claim "I only read the greats, such as Dickens." Um, Dickens was the James Patterson of his day, bub. Get over yourself.

I like to drink whiskies, especially single malt scotches. I prefer to drink them with just a little water, but some people enjoy them on the rocks, or even mixed with coke. I wouldn't do that, but if it's your drink, you should drink it how you like it.

And by the way, not all of us can afford $50 bottles of syrah -- sometimes the $10 bottle of shiraz is a splurge. You ass.