Statistics released last week by the Beverage Information Group indicate that overall beer consumption in the U.S. is down, as it has been trending over the past few years. It would be easy to jump to conclusions and fret that the beer boom is over, but a closer look at the numbers shows just the contrary: Although the Light segment continues to decline and contribute to the overall losses in the industry, growth in the Craft and Import segments remain significant despite their higher-priced items.

What does this mean, in a nutshell? Americans might be drinking less, but we’re drinking better! Hooray for us!

That’s right: More Americans are trading in fizzy yellow stuff for flavorful, artisanal selections created by brewers both abroad and across our great nation, looking for exciting selections and interesting, complex flavors that they’ve never experienced before. And with the most domestic breweries the U.S. has had in over 100 years (since about 1905) producing the widest array of styles, we have more delicious options available to us than ever.

Of course, the fabulous breweries that started this current craft trend about 25 to 30 years ago deserve the majority of the credit, followed closely by their later-blooming brewing brethren, but I have to believe that education has played a major role here as well. Associations like the Brewers Association and their array of consumer-education driven events like the Great American Beer Festival (which is coming up next week in Denver, CO) and Savor, homebrew groups and competitions throughout the country, savvy restaurateurs and programs like the Cicerone certification, and yes, media outlets including newspapers, magazines and even television shows have all helped to get the word out to consumers that there’s a world of flavor to be had for beer lovers.

And it seems like the people have heard. We all knew with the economic turmoil over the past couple of years that this transition wasn’t going to be easy, but it seems apparent now that while people are not as willing to spend more on alcoholic products, as they maybe once were, they’re comfortable getting less quantity for overall better quality.

But there’s still so much to learn, and so many beers to try. So keep up the good work, America. Keep drinking new and exciting brews, especially those made by small brewers right here in the USA.

To celebrate tonight, I’m gonna head to my local distributor after work and pick up something I’ve never tried before.  I’d love to hear what’s in your glass!

Cheers!

With the Jewish holiday Passover starting tonight, this past weekend was filled with questions about what wine to pick up for consumption during the traditional Seder. I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of these questions today as well, as people make their way to their local wine shops to pick up some selections before sundown. I don’t mind answering these queries; in fact, I love when people ask and I get the opportunity to geek out a bit. What I don’t like is how these questions, especially when it comes to kosher wine, are proposed.

What I mean by this is that when someone is asking for a general wine recommendation, it’s commonly proposed in this way: I really want to try a wine from [insert country or appellation], can you give me some good recommendations for [insert price cap] and under?

When a kosher wine is part of the equation, however, the tone often changes from expecting me to supply a worthy recommendation that they will thoroughly enjoy to feeling lucky to get one that’s merely passable. The query usually goes a bit more like this: I have to get a kosher wine for [insert holiday or event], and I know there’s no such thing as a good kosher wine but can you give me a decent recommendation for something I can actually drink a glass of?

Why the hate? I mean, I know that there was a time when kosher wine was little more than sweet, syrupy stuff that very few (I know of one person who LOVES the stuff) chose to drank on non-religious occasions. Especially in the US, where Concord-based kosher wines dominate the market. But that was then… haven’t we evolved past that? Is there really such a lack of understanding or interest in trying new things?

For the sake of education, let me make one thing clear: Kosher wine production is no different than regular wine production. The only distinction that makes a wine kosher versus nonkosher is that the staff involved in handling the wine (from harvesting the grapes through fermentation and bottling) must be observant Jews and that any ingredients used must be kosher. Most wine ingredients are already kosher; no gelatin or isinglass can be used for used for fining, but aside from that it’s pretty much standard across the board.

If a kosher wine has been handled by an idolater (read nonobservant Jew) then the wine will lose its kosher status. To avoid negating a wine’s kosher distinction, many restaurants or event venues frequently serve Mevushal kosher wine. Mevushal wine is a kosher wine that has been quickly cooked or boiled, making it eligible to keep its kosher status even if handled by a nonobservant Jew. But even for these “cooked” wines, the modern use of and recent innovations in flash-pasteurizing have greatly reduced the damage that the heating process traditionally inflicted on these wines, so forget about those raisiny, stewed fruit flavors that you remember experiencing as a child.

The time has come for people to discover that kosher wine can, in fact, be quite good. And very enjoyable.

To start you off on the right foot this Pesach, here’s a link to our online Buying Guide showing kosher wine reviews from the April 2011 issue. Of course, there are many more kosher wine reviews available in the Buying Guide, so feel free to check them all out with a new search while you’re there.

We should all try to stop treating kosher wine like one of the plagues, and start enjoying the rediscovery of just how good they can be.

So, what will you be serving tonight? I’d love to hear about your new kosher wine adventures.

Every year, the CIVL (The Conseil Interprofessionel des Vins du Languedoc) organizes the Languedoc Ambassador Wine Tour, a trade and media tasting designed to promote the great diversity and superb quality of AOC wines found in the Languedoc wine region. This year is no exception, with fantastic wines announced today as the official CIVL Ambassador Wines of 2011.

It’s fantastic exposure for an oft-overlooked region. The wines will be served at organized events throughout the country, including Washington DC, Chicago and San Francisco. In addition, several owners and winemakers  attend the events, providing additional information and insight into the area and its beautiful wine bounty to attendees as their products are sampled. It’s an experience that’s second only to actually visiting the wineries in France.

This year excites me more than previous years, as the newly established hierarchy of appellations will truly be put to the test as we see how people respond to the new organization of classifications. For a recap of the changes, check out my article on it. Will the Cru system resonate with consumers? Will it help buyers to sort through the numerous regions and sub-appellations, finally bringing some clarity to the labels and what people should expect from the wines?

I hope so. I’ve been reviewing the wines of the region for the magazine for four years now, and although I’ve seen overall interest in the wines rise, it has not yet soared to the peaks that I believe the wines merit and have the potential for. In a wine culture currently hot on interesting varieties and rising star regions, Languedoc has potential to grab the spotlight; the wines are unique, high quality and frequently available at ridiculously reasonable prices.

This concept is the Languedoc in a nutshell. Of course, there are exceptions and outliers, as there always will be, and let’s keep in mind that I’m not talking about the Vin de Pays/IGP offerings. But the Languedoc AOC options – be it just AOC Languedoc, Grand Vins du Languedoc or Grand Crus du Languedoc – are largely excellent wines at extremely reasonable retail.

So here’s to the hope that the 2011 Ambassadors will open the eyes of consumers to their region. Based on the list of winners (many of which are reviewed in our Buying Guide), I’d be shocked if they didn’t.

The 2011 Ambassadors are:

AOC Languedoc:
Château des Karantes – Blanc – Languedoc –2009
Plan de L’Homme – Sapiens – Blanc – Languedoc – 2009
Vignobles Gilles Louvet – Rouge – Languedoc –2009
Jeanjean en Languedoc – Devois des Agneaux – Rouge – Languedoc – 2008

Grands Vins du Languedoc:
Vignobles Gilles Louvet – Esprit du Sud – Blanquette de Limoux NV
Bernard Delmas – Blanquette de Limoux – 2007
Domaine de Félines Jourdan – Blanc – Picpoul de Pinet – 2009
Mont Tauch – L’Ancien Comté – Blanc – Corbières – 2009
Castelmaure – Col des Vents – Rouge – Corbières – 2008
Château Ollieux Romanis – Classique – Rouge – Corbières – 2009
Domaine de Fenouillet – Réserve – Rouge – Faugères – 2006
Château du Donjon – Rosé – Minervois – 2009
Château Sainte Eulalie – Printemps d’Eulalie – Rosé – Minervois – 2010
Château de Paraza – Cuvée Speciale – Rouge – Minervois – 2007
Vignoble du Loup Blanc – Mère Grand – Rouge – Minervois – 2007
Château La Dournie – Cuvée Elise – Rouge – Saint Chinian – 2008
Domaine la Madura – Grand Vin – Rouge – Saint Chinian – 2007
Château Saint Bauléry – Rouge – Saint Chinian – 2009
Clos du Gravillas – Douce Providence – Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois – 2007
Les Vignerons de la Méditerranée – Les Petits Grains – Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois NV

Grands Crus du Languedoc:
Château Rives Blanques – Dédicace – Blanc – Limoux – 2008
Château Rives Blanques – Odyssée – Blanc – Limoux – 2009
Château Sainte Eulalie – La Cantilène – Rouge – Minervois la Livinière – 2008
Gérard Bertrand – Le Viala – Rouge – Minervois la Livinière – 2007
Gérard Bertrand – La Forge – Rouge – Corbières Boutenac – 2007
Château Ollieux Romanis – Atal Sia – Rouge – Corbières Boutenac – 2008
Château des Karantes – Diamant – Rouge – La Clape – 2006
Mas du Soleilla – Les Bartelles – Rouge – La Clape – 2008
Château de Lancyre – Coste d’Aleyrac – Rouge – Pic Saint Loup – 2008
Château du Lancyre – Vielles Vignes – Rouge – Pic Saint Loup – 2008
Domaine la Croix Chaptal – Les Terrasses – Rouge – Terrasses du Larzac – 2007

What do you think about the list? If you’ve had any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or what other producer or appellation you would have liked to see included?

The world of the cocktail is thriving. We are in a perhaps unprecedented heyday for everything related to the world of spirits, whether it’s the inventive mixologist, the eclectic spirit revived from the past or created fresh, or the artisanal, inspired drink. Anyone with an interest in creation will find something to entice in the world of the modern cocktail…an alluring balance of serious science and sexy swagger.

With any momentous trend comes the backlash, and certainly as the mixology and creative cocktail culture has spread into “mainstream” America, the world can become a parody of itself. At its best, shaped in the hands of serious studies of past and present like Julie Reiner, Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders and beyond, the evolution of the cocktail is not only enjoyable to the palate but an education in American history and culture itself. It’s also no different than the culinary world…chefs who push the envelope on flavor combinations and find new riffs on old classics are celebrated with appropriate fanfare.

The backlash comes from the scene taking itself too seriously, or being re-worked inappropriately. No one would argue that a perfectly crafted cocktail—especially one of the bespoke type that happens in the best cocktail clubs throughout the country—is something both the mixologist and imbiber should spend some extra time to appreciate and absorb. But that margarita slopped together with premade mix that’s now $20 because it has a clever name and is served with a big ice cube? It’s happening more and more. It’s not special. And to discerning drinkers who are also aware of their wallets, it’s downright insulting. Serious mixologists are not so happy about it either. The growing interest in premium spirits is the upside of this world going big, but greed can kill the culture if it goes too far.

The mystery and exclusivity surrounding many of the better cocktail clubs has also created some suspicion and pushback from customers who question if it’s worth the hassle. Unmarked speakeasy-style watering holes with militant doormen and impenetrable lists complicate the situation. But here’s the question…is the kind of person who’s eager to sample premium spirits with a sense of adventure the same person who’s looking for a happy hour special made with whatever’s behind the bar the same person? Is it wrong for a serious cocktail club to make some decisions about the number of people they let in, and the level of customer? That’s assuming a lot of course…and maybe the hassle is about seeing who really wants to be there.

Is the culture of mixology taking itself too seriously? What’s your take?

Demonstrators protest at the site of a new bridge over Germany's Mosel River.

The wine business has almost always had a complicated relationship with the natural environment. There is little natural about vineyards–nonnative species, terraforming, soil amendments, artificial drainage and/or irrigation systems, metal, plastic or treated-wood stakes and metal wires–all lead to a profoundly altered environment. Not to mention the various chemical treatments used in viticulture, even in certified organic and biodynamic vineyards.

Yet in the past couple of decades, wineries and vineyards have become more aware of environmental issues and made great strides in reducing chemical inputs, providing nesting boxes for native predators (as at Shafer Vineyards) and restoring native and riparian habitats (see the tremendous efforts by the Rutherford Dust Society to protect fish spawning grounds in the Napa River).

Perhaps because of these advances–the increased awareness among wine producers of just how necessary sustainable agriculture is–it’s no wonder that the wine industry finds itself resolutely opposing several instances of “progress” in various parts of the world.

Unfortunately Germany’s bridge over some of the Mosel’s most famous vineyards looks to be moving full-speed ahead, even if that means tree cutting under cover of darkness before scheduled protests could interfere. If you are squeamish about this sort of thing, don’t look here.

But in Australia, there are a couple of pending development projects that there may still be time to affect. In Coonawarra, the government has proposed building a highway to bypass the majority of cellar doors, improving safety and allowing trucks to maintain superhighway speeds through the region. The catch? The planned bypass would cut through existing terra rossa vineyards. Treasury Wine Estates (the new name for Foster’s wine division) has been sponsoring a campaign against the project.

In McLaren Vale, winemakers are protesting against a suburban development slated for a subregion they claim has great viticultural potential. This open land hasn’t yet been developed as vineyards, but the McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association is fighting to keep that option open. As its chairman, Dudley Brown recently wrote me via e-mail:

Similar [soil] formations recur in the Barossa in the Seppeltsfield/Greenock area (Greenock Creek, Seppeltsfield, Torbreck, Two Hands, etc) and in the Clare at Polish Hill (Jeffrey Grosset Riesling, etc). These two areas have produced more of the highest scoring wines from single region vineyards in Australia than any other. …However, if this land is developed, we’ll never have the chance to find out what we’ve lost. Moreover, it takes 20 years just for vines to really hit their straps. The point is that we need to take a point of view of 50, 100, 200 years in the future and say “was this a good decision or bad?” Not “Is the soil suitable for foundations and gardens?”

Photo courtesy, Brewer's Association/Jason E. Kaplan

Let me rephrase that… reflections on the beer fest. Last week was the 29th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, America’s biggest beer festival and Guiness record holder for the most beers tapped in one location as well as the largest selection of American beers gathered together on the globe. With close to 50,000 attendees over the course of four sessions in three days (Saturday afternoon is for Brewers’ Association members only), this is by no means a small production. Considering the amount of beers to try (over 2,200) and new experiences and information to be absorbed, all I can say is, good thing they give you a tasting book with the names of all the breweries and beers!

It’s a lot to take in, but after a week the haze begins to clear and coherent reflections can be assembled. Here are some of the highlights and epiphanies I experienced that I can’t wait to examine further:

Number One: What’s in a Name?
One of the hottest topics discussed among brewers and industry professionals was the question of style definition. While the festival itself is a great opportunity for the public to purchase tickets to try an outrageous assortment of beers, the heart of the event for the breweries themselves is the beer competition. More than 3,500 beers were entered into the competition this year in over 79 categories representing 133 different styles of beer (i.e. the fruit beer category is split into Fruit Beer and Fruit Wheat Beer subcategories). And definitely be sure to check out the winners here. But how many of these style definitions really mean anything to the general consumer?

Photo courtesy, Brewer's Association/Jason E. Kaplan

There are a couple of questions to be considered. First, how many of these styles are actually listed on any given beer’s label? Is it actually a benefit to segment all of these categories, hoping that they will provide some guidance and flavor profile reference to shoppers, or will it just inevitably lead to more confusion and intimidation á la some wine classification systems? Can we really expect beer lovers to know the differences between Vienna-style lagers, German-style Märzens and American-style amber lagers, and to know which beers fall in each category while perusing the aisles of their local distributor for their weekend stock-up?

It’s an interesting topic, and it’s something that plagues the wine business as well: how much should we assume consumers know about a product? The European school of thought (mostly) assumes that people will know where exactly their wine is from, what grape(s) they’re made of and how they are produced with the simple listing of a controlled appellation. Should beer be taking such a similar approach to definition? The amazing thing about beer, to me, is that the possibilities are endless, but it is important for customers to have some idea about what to expect in a beer they’ve never tried, or else they maybe are reluctant to even give it a shot in the first place.

I don’t think there’s one right answer, and we’ll just have to see what evolves from the debate and discussions. All I know is it’s nice to hear that the producers of these goods are concerned about making it easier for their supporters to enjoy good craft beer.

Number Two: A Rose by Any Other Name is… a Rose?
Speaking of names, there’s a controversy that’s been brewing in the beer world for quite some time about what exactly to call a certain kind of beer. What started on the East Coast as Black IPAs in the early 90s evolved to what Pacific Northwest brewers affectionately dub Cascadian Dark Ales today, and neither wants to play nice (in a fun, faux coast war kind of way). For the 2010 GABF style guidelines, the Brewers Association stepped in and officially named the category “American-style India Black Ale”, or IBA for short. So, be it Black IPA, CDA or IBA, the category was hot and seemed to be all over the place at the festival.

With examples on display from both coasts and even in-between, the floor was loaded with different samples to try from numerous breweries. I have to say, I enjoyed (almost) all of them. Matt Van Wyk from Oakshire Brewery, who makes his own version called O’Dark:30, explained that the CDAs are supposed to retain more of a porter profile in the mouth in addition to the hop aromas, while Black IPAs don’t have that distinction. He adds, “CDAs are more than just a black colored IPA. There is a marriage between the subtle roast malt flavors and the citrusy American hops that should not be lost. It’s a different beer style for sure.”

But gotta love the label with the shoutout to both names, and no matter what they’re called they are definitely worth a try. I also reviewed a few for the November issue of the magazine, so be sure to check those out for some stellar recommendations when it hits newsstands.

Number Three: Three Cheers for Wood!
One word: oak. So many breweries are playing with all different kinds of wood, from chips to barrels to flooring (hello Dogfish Palo Santo Marron) from all over the world. New oak, used oak, different coopers, varying toast levels, barrels from wineries, Bourbon producers, Scotch houses, Port and Madeira casks… you name it, they have or will try it.

And they’re aging in wood, too, anywhere from one month to three-plus years. It’s quite amazing to pick up on the different elements that the assorted barrels have on the finished beers, and it’s producing some of the most masterful and complex offerings today from the cult brewers of our generation (check out Russian River Brewing, Allagash, and Lost Abbey’s stellar selections, just to name a few). Bringing us to…

Number Four: Time to Stock Up the Cellar
I don’t know if there has ever been a better time to stock up on beer than today. I’ve never heard more discussion about cellaring beer than I did at the festival, and the trend was even more prevalent with the numerous offerings of aged or vintage beers being served on the festival floors. Then there was the Pints for Prostates Rare Beer Tasting, where some fantastic aged beers were served to the paying attendees like Bell’s 2004 Eccentric Ale (a specialty spiced strong ale that showed almost no sign of age whatsoever and in fact still had legs to run another 5-10 years easy), Samuel Adams Kosmic Mother Funk (a sour ale that’s been developing in oak in their barrel room for over 12 months), and Weyerbacher 2005 Decadence (a spiced amber ale) just to name a few.

Despite their age and development, and though they were all enjoyable now, they showed the promise of what can be achieved with a great, well-balanced product and proper storage. Like wine or vintage Champagne, the experience is different than enjoying them young, but it’s certainly worth a try (especially for some of the big barleywine or imperials available today) and worth considering. I’m almost at capacity myself… time for a new cellaring unit!

If you missed this year’s event, be sure to save the date for next year, the 30th anniversary of the festival, on September 29th to October 1st, 2011.

What do you think about my observations? Are you on board with any of these trends, or was there something else you experienced at GABF that I didn’t get to touch upon? I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about… what’s brewing in your brain?

These days, everything seems to be a little easier thanks in large part to the internet. What used to take days, weeks, even months of digging through dusty papers and fragile microfiche in the library is now at your fingertips via online archives and resource sites. The phone book I had delivered to my house last week?… a good fire starter considering I have a handy app on my smartphone that doesn’t leave my fingers black. And of course it’s almost too easy keeping up with friends and family through the use of email, blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

But one of the best reasons to love social media these days is the opportunity to follow people and events all over the world without leaving the comfort of your living room. During the exciting time in the Northern Hemisphere wine world that is late August through October, there’s no better place to be than behind the monitor following all your favorite producers. Aside from actually visiting all your favorite wine regions and estates, which is totally awesome if you have a limitless money supply but not completely accessible to most, there’s no better way to keep tabs on this year’s harvest without spending a dime.

Of course, during these months we’re talking about the Northern Hemisphere wine producing regions. The harvest typically occurs from February to April in the Southern Hemisphere, about 6 months ahead of the Northern frontier.

And since there are so many factors that influence the harvest, it’s informative and fun to see, hear or read about the different ways that each individual winery approaches it. Although it’s usually determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape (by sugar, acid and tannin levels through various scientific and experience driven techniques), there are so many additional considerations to be weighed before making that final decision: final style of wine to be produced, the weather (the most ominous and troublesome of circumstances), the amount of time it will take to harvest depending on whether you’re hand harvesting or going the mechanical route, and so much more.

Although this might sound a bit geeky to most, it helps foster a better understanding and increased appreciation for the wines that we all love so much and the fabulous, hard-working folks who make them. When you have a thin, lackluster ‘02 Barolo, you can connect the unfavorable weather and hailstorms with the resulting quality of the wine. Some winemakers in South Australia had trouble in 2008, when halfway through the vintage (and before some folks had decided to start harvesting) a heat spike swept through and cooked up any fruit still hanging on the vines, resulting in high alcohol levels, stuck fermentations and volatile acidity for some unfortunate few. It’s a gamble and a crapshoot that’s based in skill, experience, expertise and quick-thinking, and watching it all unfold is like tuning in to a wine soap opera.

So be sure to start following your favorite wineries and winemakers on Twitter, Facebook and on their harvest blogs today to catch all the action right from the start. Here’s some of my favorite blog spots from 2009 (and I’m sure the 2010 coverage will begin any day now if not already):

http://jvineyards.blogspot.com/
http://napavintners.blogspot.com/
http://blog.hugel.com/en/harvest/

http://domainesereneharvest.blogspot.com/

lenndevours.com (New York Cork Report)

Or just search for “Wine Harvest 2010” in posts by everyone on Facebook or on Twitter and see what the news of the day is!

I’d love to hear some of your favorite harvest stories, or the producers you like to keep an eye on.

Disclosure—no, not the Demi Moore-Michael Douglas 1994 movie that made Pahlmeyer Chardonnay a star—is one of the buzzwords of the Internet age. Everyone wants it, and everyone seems to feel like they’re not always getting enough of it.

Today, rather than rattling on about what levels of disclosure I feel are appropriate in wine criticism/journalism, I want to know what levels of disclosure you, our readers, expect.

Here are several common instances that I hope might inspire you to comment.

• A critic attends a media/trade tasting.
• A critic receives free samples of wine from a producer/importer.
• A critic is hosted for a dinner/tasting by a producer/importer.
• A critic is hosted for a trip to a wine region.

Are there distinctions to be drawn depending on the market value? Does it matter what content the writer generates as a result, or should it all be reported to the public regardless? May a distinction be drawn between the critic and the publication? Finally, whatever expectations you might have, are those expectations realistic?

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has recently come up with a PinotG Style Spectrum, which is supposed to tell consumers what kind of Pinot Gris they’re getting, on a scale that ranges from “crisp” to “luscious.” As an industry response to the multitude of Pinot Gris styles now being made in Australia, it makes sense as shorthand, so that prospective purchasers don’t have to actually read descriptive back labels or know how to interpret technical notes.

Researchers correlated organoleptic data from a trained tasting panel with spectrographic analyses to develop the scale, allowing a wine to be classified according to its spectrographic “fingerprint” rather than according to some winemaker’s or marketer’s subjective impression.

As an attempt to remove subjective taste criteria from style description, the PinotG Style Spectrum parallels in some ways the development of the International Riesling Federation’s (IRF) Riesling Taste Profile, which purports to tell consumers how sweet their Riesling is based on the relationships in the finished wine between residual sugar, total acidity and pH. That’s it: just numbers, crunched into a linear scale from “dry” to “sweet.”

At the Nelson International Aromatics Sympsium in New Zealand held this past February, the IRF scale took some abuse from a number of the attendees, including guest of honor Ernst Loosen, who noted that in many cases the numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Several wines were perceived to be drier than they should have been (according to the numbers), while others were sweeter. Although the scale isn’t a complete failure, neither is it a complete success, as its accuracy is limited by its reliance on only three variables.

As Bob Campbell, MW pointed out close to two years ago, alcohol content and the type of sugar that is present can both affect how residual sugar is perceived. By using spectrographic fingerprinting, the PinotG Style Spectrum avoids the overreliance on a few easily measured lab values that handicaps the Riesling Taste Profile. On the other hand, the beauty of the IRF solution is that it’s so easy to calculate and thus more likely to be adopted by producers.

In the end, each of these scales gives consumers another tool in choosing a wine that is more likely to match up with their taste preferences. By making these references independent of marketing spin, the wine industry is moving closer to giving consumers the unbiased information they increasingly demand. Who knows? Perhaps one day we’ll be able to plot our own preferences and match them up with spectrographic diagrams on back labels. No colorful descriptors–indeed, no words at all–needed.