Lately in our house we’ve had a number of chats regarding the label of “wine snob.” This label was placed on me a few weeks ago which did not make me happy, and I was soon told I was overreacting.
From Merriam-Webster:
snob : one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social superiors
3 a : one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior b : one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste
geek 1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
2 : a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
3 : an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity
Our discussion about wine geeks vs. wine snobs has gone down many roads. One of which was the road of double standards in life, the most glaring example being:
- Guy likes sex = stud
- Woman likes sex = slut
Thinking back to my time at Case, I realize how many computer snobs I had to deal with.
I will admit there are a heck of a lot of wine snobs out there who hurt the name of those of us who try our hardest to remove that veil of mystery and snobbery in the world of wine. But let’s get it right–I’m the one always calling wine “alcoholic grape juice” in classes.
Though from Jancis Robinson’s recent post, I think I’m going to steal her line now. “Keep reminding everyone of Len Evans’ dictum that ‘it’s only a drink, for heaven’s sake.’ Just happens to be a particularly delicious one.”
