One of my favorite stories to tell people, especially those who seem to struggle with their descriptors, is about my very first job in the wine industry. It goes a little something like this:
I was hired to work in the tasting room at a local winery. Before he was going to put me on the floor he wanted to gauge what I "knew" about wine. He gave me a wine to try, which was one of the client wines (not one of theirs), and asked me to tell him what I thought. Immedimately I told him "I don't want to". He encouraged me and said there was no wrong answer (come to find out he does think there is a WRONG answer) and I told him once again that I didn't want to. Finally, I was out with it and this is what I said, "It reminds me of cheap, cold turkey lunch meat, the slimy kind". Told you! He realized at that moment he did think there was a wrong answer, and that was it!! He promptly, with confusion and a large smile, asked if that was REALLY what I thought. He also disagreed with me. I stood by what I said (and couldn't get myself to try that particular wine again). Needless to say I worked there for over a year.
This story always gets a good laugh and tends to help loosen people up and that is the point. Over time I stopped this kind of honesty when describing wines, even in my own private notes. I had become one of the "wheel people". What are "wheel people"? I think I will leave that for a future post! Now that I am note-taking again I have found that my confidence has allowed me to be honest in that innocent way as I was all those years ago. I think someone once said, "Honesty is the best policy!" and I believe there is something to that.
Cheers
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