Wine writer, Neil Pendock, and publishers of The Platter Guide are embroiled in a heated debate about the pros and cons of blind versus sighted tastings.
Pendock indicates that the Platter tasting methods (sighted) are not fair and the tasters are influenced by preconceived ideas about regions, brands and prices etc.
Phillip van Zyl, the editor of the John Platter guide, argues that “sighted tasting is a perfectly legitimate approach, which serves as a useful tool for gaining a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a wine”.
Arniston winemaker, Abraham de Villiers, comments on the topic:
”I would definitely agree that the only fair way to conduct any tasting is to do it blind. In many cases packaging and to a certain extent “estate name and reputation” plays an important part in judging a wine sighted before it even has been tasted.
“Especially for a novice South African wine drinker who uses the Platter Guide as a indicator of wine quality, it is even more important that the guide be accurate in their wine ratings and not judge a wine on packaging, ‘looks’ and reputation.
“Any good rating is always a good marketing tool in any format.”
Source: The Times
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