Tasting Note idea

[Gavin Trott]

Just a thought (I know, its dangerous when I think, still ...)

Next week, how about the following idea.

Every one who can, and wishes to, post a single separate tasting note. Make the tasting note for the best wine you've had over the past week.

So each note is for a single wine, and each tasting note separate. To be posted from Monday on.

Heading should be somehting like

TN 2000 Chateau Ordinary

or similar.

This will then not interfere with the weekly tasting notes, what have you been drinking, but provide some interesting reading the following week.

Can be new release, old wine, Australian, not Australian etc.

Simply the best wine from the past week.

People think its an interesting idea, and wish to be involved

or

go back to sleep Gavin?

[Davo]

Why not file them under their own heading/section so as not to mix the tasting notes with the general banter, making them easier to run through etc.

[Red Bigot]

Why not file them under their own heading/section so as not to mix the tasting notes with the general banter, making them easier to run through etc.

Might be time to revisit this idea, it was canvassed when the "new" forum format was established a year or 3 ago and the majority decided not to have a separate TN forum. Maybe a Poll to canvas preferences?

[Gary W]

TN section is a very good idea. I have a few up me sleeve....
GW

[Wizz]

TN section is a very good idea. I have a few up me sleeve....
GW

TN's or ideas?

[KMP]

Most forums have a generic tasting notes section - how about something a little more likely to generate discussion and be informative for the audience that visit the site?

This may be a bit more work for you Gavin, but why not have a tasting notes section that is split into Regions? There is always so much talk about Regional Australia and the characteristics of the wines, but very little is available for those who want to either contribute to a discussion about the wines that define different regions, or come to a site to learn about regional Australia.

Yes picking out what regions to list, and deciding whether to have sub-sections for red, white, fortified etc will make things a little complicated, but at least it will be more original that the expanding universe of blogs and website out there with generic listings of tasting notes.

Mike

[Michael McNally]

Why have to go to a different section to see TNs? TNs are an integral part of the discussion board, and they will be clearly identified so those people who don't necessarily want to look at them don't have to.

Good idea Gavin.

Michael

[Ian S]

FWIW I reckon that the weekly report is a great feature and allows people to write in their own style without feeling pressure. It's possibly so good, that it restricts the number of stand-alone TN's.

I think however Gavin's idea might positively develop into one where people do indeed post separate TN's to wines they've really enjoyed (or maybe taken great exception to). It's still feasible to link into the TN via a hyperlink inserted into the weekly summary.

I'm interested in why people don't post more tasting notes - is it:

- The weekly summary is easiest method
- Don't take notes
- Not confident in posting notes
- Don't think anyone's interested (I do worry about this sometimes with the european wines we drink)
- Post them elsewhere (<teacher mode on> on that subject Ric, don't forget to post at least one note in the weekly report - or even a set of vibes with a link to your own site for the full tasting note <teacher mode off>). Likewise, I'd be comfortable with others like Gary etc. posting vibes + link to full notes, assuming that is Gavin is comfortable with it.
- or another reason?

TN's are a major part of wine fora, but sometimes the least rewarding - it's a little disappointing if you post a TN and no-one responds. Many times these TN's are read and appreciated by many (including well into the future when people do searches for info on a wine and the TN is a big help). I don't propose everyone just writing "great tasting note" in reponse, but I reckon on the whole reponses are very much appreciated by the poster.

regards

Ian

[Alex F]

Some interesting points Ian. My perspective:

The weekly tasting note column I think is a very friendly and communal way to get people to post notes. I have noticed with the other forum that notes have not been posted since a 'weekly thread' has not been started.

I think your point about not taking notes adds to the low confidence in posting notes. For myself sometimes I drink a wine and enjoy it, but usually do not delve very deeply into it, I just want to tell the forum I did enjoy it, and to me it seems like a waste to make a new post to say... "xxx wine: fruity, expressive nose, I enjoyed", whereas it seems so much better to put it all in the weekly thread.

I don't think that anyone think's that notes are not interesting. I sometimes wish there were more European notes posted. I certainly do a lot of backsearching and it 90% governs what I buy (this year anyway).

The tasting notes on the two forums have been extremely useful in shaping my purchases. It is also instructive to compare wines I've tasted with more renowned palates so I can compare. In the light of that I feel that because I do get a lot of joy out of these tasting notes, I should be putting something back, if not just to say "this random wine... it was really good". Who knows when someone else wants to buy a bottle of that wine?

It is complicated sometimes when doing searches to sift through the weekly reports, since replies to a particular tasting note could be anywhere in the thread and sometimes do not show up on searches. In that sense I would try to post seperate tasting notes for my wines, but only when I feel that they are of sufficient length to standalone.

[Ian S]

Alex
Very much agree with your sentiments (especially as sometimes I haven't taken any notes, so a tasting vibe is all that's really possible). When I do take notes they usually go into cellartracker and I then use the cellartracker publishing option to generate the text/code which I can then cut and paste in. Thus I have my personal set of TN's in cellartracker, plus I can also add them into the debate over here.

On the subject of searches I discovered a little trick a while back that resolves your issue about exactly where (in the 3 pages of notes) the search match is. When you hit the search button, have a look in the bottom left hand corner of the search options screen. You should see a pair of radio buttons with the following text

Display results as: O Posts O Topics

Change the default from Topics to posts and it returns the individual posts that contain the text, allowing you go directly to the reference.

(It only took me about a year to discover this )

regards

Ian

[Alex F]

Neccessity forced me to learn how to search by posts early on . Clicking through 40 topics was really unpleasant. Although, I am pretty sure that the link from the search button brings you to the relevant text. That is how it works on ERP anyway I think...

[wine bloke]

The colour is so dark and deep that it looks like motor oil. Clings to the side of the glass like it as well.

Smelling it reminded of Christmas, with steamed plum and cherry christmas pudding steam rolling out of the glass. Should I add Christmas pudding on steriods.

The mouthfill is thick, viscous and chewy. Stewed plums, followed by jammy dark cherry flavours with savoury spice and meld into a well defined integration of oak. Finishing with lenghty, velvety tannins.

100% Cabernet done in "Amorone" style, a wine that turns shiraz lovers into cabernet fiends.

Cheers, Wine Bloke