People buy wine because of name recognition not because they actually know the flavor profile.

That's a generalization.

From experience people will buy a bottle because so and so drinks it on tv. Kim on Real Housewives of Atlanta drinks Far Niente Chardonnay and Ive specifically had a woman order it because she saw it on RHWO Atlanta.

Ummm, no.

People with bad taste buy wine because of name recognition. If that were the case, then all of the smaller vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Washington State, and New York State would have gone kaput at this point.

Just realize that your experience is limited.

You might want to tell the Master Sommelier teaching my Sommelier training class that he is making generalizations then. With that said, realize that your statement about my experience is an assumption. My experience is not limited. One of the perks of waiting tables to support myself through school is free sommelier training and wine tastings every week.

Not necessarily people with bad taste, but people who dont know much about wine. People will also buy wine according to price and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm not rich enough to go drop 350 dollars on a bottle of wine for dinner. Just from my 3 years of fine dining many people have order because they recognize a name and have not had it before. More people are going to recognize Cakebread, Mondavi, and Duckhorn over Twomey or Honig vineyards. Those who purchase because of name recognition certainly do not out weigh those wine-o's and wine snobs which is why boutique winerys are still around.

I just realized my comment right after yours. I didn't mean that in response to your comment about people getting sick from the oak. It is true. I prefer stainless steel chards over oaked chards but they tend to taste the same to me.

My best advice to someone who really doesn't know wine is to find the store with someone who knows something about it. Not everyone who works there does. I found an assistant manager at a local shop that helped me pick out different selections that I normally would not buy over the course of a year. I've also been to a few wine tastings and take the opportunities to test the wines when that is being offered at the store. I bought the Cakebread, because Andy sat next to a rep on a business trip and she really talked it up. We bought the first bottle out of curiosity, the others because we liked them. We had never heard of them otherwise.

I would tell him the same thing as well. A master sommelier's job is to know more about wine than the average consumer. They just might be a little biased. There is a huge world of wine connoisseurs that never study under a sommelier or wait tables that have far more experience than your three years of waiting tables...at what restaurant? You could say that "generally" people don't know much about wine, but to make a statement like yours was like I said, a sign of your "limited experience." And I'm sure your instructor didn't tell you that all us mere mortals just buy wine based on what our favorite TV characters drink, now did he?

Sorry sweetie but who are you to judge my knowledge? I'm pretty sure I know a little more than you "mere mortals" because of my oh so limited experience that you know all about. Because you dont know beyond my three years of waiting tables or me at all who are you to question it? And whats your experience exactly? I'm not claiming I have tons of knowledge or experience. I was stating a fact that I was told and have witnessed from MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and if you choose not to believe it then thats your perogative but theres no need to make assumptions like YOU did.

Srsly? Most boring semi-hijack ever. I don't give a shit whose credentials are what.

Back on topic: if I had to be 100% truthful, I love so many Finger Lakes wines/wineries, but it's so rare for me to be able to get them unless I drive home to New York (State). Red Cat, Bully Hill anything, so good. We'll be bringing a lot back after Christmas.

I love Finger Lakes wines! I'm a member of the Cornell Club here in NYC, and every month they have a different Finger Lake white and red that they serve. There used to be a restaurant called New York Vintage, where all they served were Long Island, Finger Lakes, and Columbia Valley wines.

Have you ever done a tour? My parents did a trip every year. I'd seriously recommend it (along with getting a car service for the day).

I've never done a Finger Lakes tour, but I try to do the East End/North Fork tours every other year or so. I'm working on arranging one with my girlfriends. I honestly prefer the North Fork wine tours to Napa because they're smaller and you get to taste more wines and sometimes talk with the vintners.