TNs

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

I have a question about tasting notes on this forum. Over time, it seems that fewer people are posting tasting notes on individual wines, in favour of more general wine-related subjects or discussions about individual wineries or wine regions.

In the early days of this forum, the prefix "TN:" denoted that the topic would relate to a specific wine and probably vintage, but I seem to be the only person in recent history still using this, and very few people are posting tasting notes.

So, the question is: "Is there value in having an individual's TN posted on here, or are people looking to other sources for commentary about individual wines?" If the latter is correct, then please let me know where I can find these, as I value a range of opinions on a wine from people that have similar interest in wine.

Cheers
Allan

[cuttlefish]

Hi Allan.
I think with the introduction of the "Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight" thread, that was pretty much the death-knell for individual wine tasting note threads. From memory, there was some argument against individual threads. For me personally, I preferred them. Better visibility when browsing, and searchability was better. It did mean there were a lot more threads, though, which (again, from memory) some didn't like as much.
On some other online forums that I use, when you click on a thread title, it automatically takes you to where you had last read up to (or more correctly, to what was the final post in the thread the last time you visited that thread). I like this facility, because it saves you trolling through a thread to find where you were up to, particularly in threads that are hundreds of pages long.

[Craig(NZ)]

I think simply put there are better places these days for tasting notes, vivino etc

[Ozzie W]

So, the question is: "Is there value in having an individual's TN posted on here...

Yes. I enjoy reading tasting notes on this forum (and sometimes post them). The ensuing discussions are great. Please keep on posting, Allan and everyone else.

What I don't like is the inconsistency of where they're posted. Some have their own individual thread, some in the "Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight" thread, and for Italian wines perhaps in the "Italian Wine, Food, Travel - Italy" area or the "The Barolo / Barbaresco / Nebbiolo thread" thread, etc. Searching for a particular tasting note (if it exists) can be difficult. Not much that can be done about this. It's just the inherent nature of a forum platform.

...or are people looking to other sources for commentary about individual wines?" If the latter is correct, then please let me know where I can find these, as I value a range of opinions on a wine from people that have similar interest in wine.

If I'm after tasting notes on a particular wine, my go-to source is CellarTracker. The structured nature of the CellarTracker platform means everyone's tasting notes for a particular wine are all on the one screen in chronological order. Obviously, the free-form structure of a forum doesn't permit this. In addition, as the people posting tasting notes usually also cellar wine (not just social drinkers), the tasting note quality is generally high.

I also like wine-searcher a lot because it has links to wine critic review sites that I subscribe to (e.g The Wine Front) and also to CellarTracker tasting notes. It's convenient to access aggregated links to all the tasting note sources from one place. Sites like The Wine Front also have tasting notes from subscribers in the comments section on each wine which are useful.

I find platforms such as Vivino a bit of a two edged sword. The quality of the tasting notes aren't as good (lots of social drinkers). But it's a very convenient place to record what I drink as the mobile app is excellent for this purpose, better than CellarTracker. CellarTracker does link with Vivino, but not the other way around. In terms of discussions on tasting notes, Vivino can be a bit hit and miss too.

As you can see, I use a few different platforms. They each have their pros and cons. By using multiple platforms, I combine the best features of all of them.

[Gavin Trott]

G'day

I have a question about tasting notes on this forum. Over time, it seems that fewer people are posting tasting notes on individual wines, in favour of more general wine-related subjects or discussions about individual wineries or wine regions.

In the early days of this forum, the prefix "TN:" denoted that the topic would relate to a specific wine and probably vintage, but I seem to be the only person in recent history still using this, and very few people are posting tasting notes.

So, the question is: "Is there value in having an individual's TN posted on here, or are people looking to other sources for commentary about individual wines?" If the latter is correct, then please let me know where I can find these, as I value a range of opinions on a wine from people that have similar interest in wine.

Cheers
Allan

Hello

I started the 'What are we drinking tonight' thread, literally as that. I was enjoying a great bottle, so asked everyone else theirs.

I never intended for it to replace people posting individual Tasting notes, nor did I want it too, but the members seemed to enjoy doing it that way, so on it went.

In short, I reckon we should go back to posting tasting notes whenever we feel like it, with TN in front as before.

Heck Allan, you always have, which I for one appreciate. So what about we go back to that?

As ever, this is your forum, so do with it what you wish, I do not tell members what to do, but I reckon going back to that mix would be great, so what do you all reckon?

.

[Mahmoud Ali]

On some other online forums that I use, when you click on a thread title, it automatically takes you to where you had last read up to (or more correctly, to what was the final post in the thread the last time you visited that thread). I like this facility, because it saves you trolling through a thread to find where you were up to, particularly in threads that are hundreds of pages long.

This forum does that too if you're logged in. Simply hover the cursor over the circle to the left of the thread title. Again, if your're logged in, the cursor will not change, but if there has been a new posts it will turn to a pointing finger. Click the circle and viola you will be taken to the latest post.

Cheers .................. Mahmoud.

[Wizz]

All the cool kids moved away from php bulletin boards years ago. Twitter was first for general discussion. TN's now on cellar tracker, vivino (more for the masses), and who knows where else.

Which just leaves us cranky middle aged men here .

[Mick 1955]

I'm a cranky old man who looks forward to your Tasting Notes Allan. Please keep posting them.

[Luke W]

If I remember (and nowadays this is getting harder), we used to have tasting notes for every month. This just made it easier to see when the new month's notes began and so we could open up the blog and read new material. Not tried Mahmoud's advice about use of the cursor as I only access the forum with my mobile.
Prefer the old way, but that's probably a generational thing.

[cuttlefish]

All the cool kids moved away from php bulletin boards years ago. Twitter was first for general discussion. TN's now on cellar tracker, vivino (more for the masses), and who knows where else.

Which just leaves us cranky middle aged men here .

...with all the knowledge and wisdom, Mwuahaha !

[Redav]

I'm a cranky old man who looks forward to your Tasting Notes Allan. Please keep posting them.

I'm just cranky but I enjoy reading them too. I love reading your notes, I keep an eye out for some of them and find it interested when you've noted about one I've had.

Pleas keep them coming

[GraemeG]

I've been slack. Posted a few TNs now!
Graeme

[Mahmoud Ali]

I've been slack. Posted a few TNs now!Graeme

You certainly have !!!

[JamieBahrain]

Not sure the forum will be a better place with a page full of TN's. I personally liked the way it evolved as the audience and the Aussie market broadened extensively and wines were loosely categorized and the forum kept rational. Search function is brilliant!

I drink far more than I post. I only make an effort to post on Piedmont as it's a personal love above all else by a fair margin ( and I like to keep a reference as I'm terrrible with names and photos help ) and the odd classic Australian wine or event I host as not ashamed of mywine loving roots ( and they are pretty good wines ).

If I actually posted what I drank I think I'd have a bit of interest as I'm fortunate living in duty free HKG and being well connected to drink the world's great wines most weeks. I don't have the time and it would be ragged to say I don't have the interest in these wines but more so I'm looking over my shoulder looking for my next Piedmont experience. It is actually far more relaxing to just enjoy great Bordeaux and Burgundy without taking notes.

[Ian S]

Always a tough decision of a weekly / ongoing tasting note thread vs. individual TNs. It's a question that comes up on most wine forums.

For me individual TN's have the advantages of higher volume of threads, perhaps easier to search, and encourages people to be more expansive in what they write.

Meanwhile grouped / regular threads have the advantage of being less intimidating for people who might feel they can't write (or aren't good at writing) full tasting notes, but feel they can post brief thoughts / opinions on these threads. They can be very active threads, but can get a little oversized. On the downside, they're not as good for discussion.

My preference? What works best for the mix of people on that forum. If I had to choose, I'd say both - encouraging people to post a separate TN where they really want a discussion about it - that format should encourage discussion. For everthing else, into a weekly or ongoing thread like we have. However I'd also suggest not being prescriptive about it - let people post how they are comfortable.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I concur with Ian in having both kinds of threads, separate and a weekly or weekend thread. The ongoing thread is ideal for people to simply inform people of what they've been drinking without the need for pictures or notes. It has the added advantage of allowing others who may have the same wine in their cellar or perhaps considering a purchase to ask about general impressions. I very much enjoy Allan's notes on wines but sometimes struggle to comment because not all wines are available here in Canada and my exposure to them is limited. In fact I am often surprised how few comments are made on his notes and wonder if anybody else is drinking them.

I have been using both kinds of threads but will start a separate thread when I think a wine might be of interest to forum members, the most recent examples being an old Pikes riesling. I have to admit I have not been using the "TN" indicator which I will correct in future.

Mahmoud.

PS: As for Cellar Tracker, just yesterday I wondered how my 1990 Tignanello is faring and am faced with two notes from this year, one suggesting that the wine has come around and confers on it 93 points ("I used to hate this wine when it was young, and that was the reason it was kept in the cellar for 20+ years. It has developed and bloosomed beyond my wildest expectation. If offers tons of complexity like old claret, just with a Sangiovese twist. Not in decline, but do drink up.") while another person thought it was in decline and worth only 83-84 points ("This bottle was past its prime. Drinkable, especially with food, not faulty or flawed, but simply not as good as it should be."). Because I knew the '90 Tignanello was stubbornly unyielding, which Jancis Robinson noted some years ago and was confirmed by a bottle I opened, it is easy for me to know which tasting note I believe. However, were it not for that note I might be looking at notes which say the wine is past its prime and in decline. I would much prefer a note or impression from a forum member.

[Scotty vino]

Think separate TN for indivdual wines is too much and the 'Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight' is a bit of a bottomless pit.

Split the difference. I think a monthly tasting thread is the best way. Same as the purchase threads.

TN NOVEMBER 2019....etc.

Wasn't this the case in the past?

Anywho... if you're looking for a single TN on an individual wine a simple search does the trick.

[tarija]

For me, a separate thread is probably only necessary for great wines, wines of high reputation, or wines of considerable age. More standard table wines can be reviewed in the "what are you drinking tonight" thread.

As to what fits in each category - that's up to each poster.

[sjw_11]

Think separate TN for indivdual wines is too much and the 'Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight' is a bit of a bottomless pit.

Split the difference. I think a monthly tasting thread is the best way. Same as the purchase threads.

TN NOVEMBER 2019....etc.

Wasn't this the case in the past?

Anywho... if you're looking for a single TN on an individual wine a simple search does the trick.

I would second the idea of going back to a monthly "What did you drink - November 2019" approach. We could keep "what are you drinking right now" for random one off notes, and people could post individual threads where they taste something particularly note worthy.

[sjw_11]

I should add that a monthly thread works particularly well for those (like myself and GraemeG) who use Cellar Tracker as the first place to store notes. Then it is easy to go in once a month and download the last months notes to post them here for people's reference.

[Ian S]

For me, a separate thread is probably only necessary for great wines, wines of high reputation, or wines of considerable age. More standard table wines can be reviewed in the "what are you drinking tonight" thread.

As to what fits in each category - that's up to each poster.

To which I'd also add provocative, challenging, thought-provoking and controversial. For me it's about tn's that will prompt conversation, that won't feel like a thread drift. That's not to say other wines might not generate fierce debate on the bucket thread, but posting a separate TN thread can be an open invitation to discuss in detail.