Michael Perlis W(h)ining

 

Over a year ago, I wrote an article about some of my pet peeves. While I’m not sure how much our readers got out of it, it was a great catharsis for me.

 

Once again, I feel the need to get a few things off my chest, I’ll try not to repeat myself, although I may make reference to my original article, which you can find here: http://evewine101.com/2012/12/15/perlis-picks-his-pet-peeves/

 

Some of these things may seem petty to you; in fact some of them seem fairly petty to me. And while I am sometimes guilty of some of the things I w(h)ine about, they still bug me.

 

Spelling and Grammar

 

In my previous article, I mentioned a lot of spelling and grammar issues, including using the wrong word that sounds the same as the one you intended, such as palette for palate, whose for who’s, your for you’re, etc. This time I want to take that a step further. Now that so many business owners have discovered the benefits of social media and are posting on Facebook, they should really pay attention to these things. I recognize as much as anyone that mistakes happen, and especially when you’re rushing a quick post to get attention to what is happening right NOW. But continual bad grammar and spelling – well, after a while it just makes you look kind of dumb.

 

Charbono

 

What about a grape could possibly bug me? Well, it is not the grape itself – I actually really like charbono. But I was at a winemaker dinner not too long ago where the winemaker referred to charbono as an Italian grape. Now, I am admittedly no expert, but I always thought that charbono was French in origin. When I had an opportunity to ask the winemaker about this, he agreed that I was correct, but that customers like to hear that the grape is Italian. Whaaat?

Meritage

 

First of all, pronounce it right. It rhymes with “heritage”, not some French word, although the term is meant to be used for non-French wines made from grapes that originated in France’s Bordeaux region. And, to properly be called a Meritage, the winery must have permission from the Meritage Alliance.

 

Straw man arguments

 

Here’s an example. The boyfriend of a client of mine was carrying on about one particular winery in Paso Robles and how it was literally the world’s best winery. He started his argument by stating, as fact, that Napa is all played out and no good wines came from there anymore, and continued on with how this one particular Paso winery was better than any other. Now, Paso Robles ranks right up there as one of my very favorite wine regions. But to start out an argument with a statement that is meant to be taken as fact that was clearly false really rankled me. But, because of the client relationship, I let it slide. Maybe that’s what I’m actually upset about. This happened a few years ago – I don’t think I would let it go today.

 

Wine snobs

 

At Eve’s Wine 101, we are committed to making wine accessible to everyone. So, I really hate the term wine snob and dislike those who try to make people feel bad over their drinking choices, no matter what they might be. There’s enough wine, at all price points, to go around, so please remember it is just grape juice.

 

Just a couple more things…

 

It isn’t “should of, could of, or would of”, it’s “should have, could have or would have”.

 

And, when did the proper response to “Thank you” become “no problem”?

 

That’s all I’ve got. Now that they’re off my chest maybe I can let them go.

 

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. (2013 Update: Eve and Michael announced Eve Wine 101 Consulting. Info is here: http://evewine101.com/press-releases/) Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com.

 

One thought on “Michael Perlis W(h)ining

  1. Wow! And I thought I had a lot of pet peeves. Many including myself get bitten by auto spell correction on cell phones. Food for thought.

    Rusty

Comments are closed.