tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post1352825522647249129..comments2024-03-08T21:37:38.443-08:00Comments on VinoFictions: Certifiably government thinkingThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-64666118770925751892008-07-15T08:58:00.000-07:002008-07-15T08:58:00.000-07:00Jay,Of course, I agree with you. But as a journali...Jay,<BR/><BR/>Of course, I agree with you. But as a journalist as well as an overall writer, I believe that we have an obligation not to know everything about which we write, but to at least try to learn what it is we about which we write.<BR/><BR/>In the case of columnists who regularly cover one subject: there's no excuse for not studying the subject deeply and for taking short cuts because of a cultural deficiency in assimilation. It is possible to talk about technical matters without having to be technical.<BR/><BR/>The real problem, as I view it, is that in the mainstream press, as well as in blogs, far too many self-proclaimed, often ill-informed (or lazy) critics opine about wine. The tragedy is that the ones in the mainstream are paid to do it.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-48417877373038528892008-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:002008-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00Thomas,FWIW, Lyle Fass' rant rivaled Lettie Teague...Thomas,<BR/><BR/>FWIW, Lyle Fass' rant rivaled Lettie Teague's in terms of tortured logic. Both perspectives have degrees of validity couched in their nearly unavoidable simplifying assumptions. <BR/><BR/>In my opinion (and not as an apologist for Teague), Lettie is serving what many of her readers wish to assimilate. In America's sound byte-challenged, unscientific mindset, how many of HER readers would probably yawn and turn the page had Lettie focused on biodynamically induced improvements in a grape's secondary metabolism profile, including a rarely discussed improvement in acid balance ? Get my drift ?<BR/><BR/>Mere mention of the word "biochemistry" typically elicits a glazed over visceral reaction from many good citizens as well as wine lovers. Alas, the terms "organic" or even "chemical" confound many discussions outside the realm of chemistry. Those Henry Mencken quotes comes to mind once again !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-87564321892862728242008-07-14T05:18:00.000-07:002008-07-14T05:18:00.000-07:00Thanks, Jack. I should have put Lyle's link in the...Thanks, Jack. <BR/><BR/>I should have put Lyle's link in there, but then, I've been busy with things so mundane as trying to figure out how to keep the checkbook fully supplied so that the mortgage payments don't go the way of our economy--all the way down... <BR/><BR/>As for wine writers, mainstream wine writing seems to have deteriorated completely into a miasma of criticisms at the expense of information.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-59174769381182210962008-07-13T22:23:00.000-07:002008-07-13T22:23:00.000-07:00Her article stood out to me as the worst one I've ...Her article stood out to me as the worst one I've ever read by her.<BR/><BR/>Then again, a very experienced wine writer mentioning the cow horn thing when talking about biodynamics is stunning; that's simply FAIL on your Wine Journalism final exam.<BR/><BR/>Btw, Lyle's original post (with link to Teague's article) is here:<BR/><BR/>http://rockssandfruit.blogspot.com/2008/07/thanks-alice-fiering-for-alerting-me.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com