WINE snobbery can be a funny and foolish pose. The affectations
of wine critics' prose, with their evocations of plummy jam and
cigar-scented finish, are silly enough to alienate anyone who
appreciates clear writing. Equally preposterous, however, is the
attitude of the radical debunker who insists there is no difference
between a lovingly cellared 1978 Chambertin and the latest shipment
of "Three-Buck Chuck" at Trader Joe's.
The enmity between connoisseurs and casual imbibers has reignited
because of two recent experiments: one suggesting that high-priced
wines are no better than plonk, the other showing that wine drinkers
are easily brainwashed to believe a higher price means more quality.