Intended for current wine students, blind tasting nerds, and anyone ready to question the rules — not just follow them.
A Candid Talk + Tasting on Bias, Blind Spots, and the Future of Tasting Grids
Are we training tasters to think… or just to conform? In this opinionated (and eye-opening) session, our lead educator takes the mic to unpack the unspoken issues behind the tasting grids used in major wine certifications — from Eurocentric benchmarks and rigid expectations to the power of suggestion and the pressure to get it “right.” We’ll also explore how shifting climate patterns and evolving winemaking styles are making some traditional grid assumptions feel outdated.
Through a guided tasting of six carefully chosen wines, we’ll challenge conventional calls, examine outliers, and ask: what should structured tasting look like today?