1. interest in wine is now tellling us how to describe the stuff? Why? Oh yeah, I forgot, the LA Times is now counting words, not quality. Joel, grow up. The fact that you don't get it does not mean there is nothing to get.

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2. Need to point out for the record that Zinfandel was brought to the United States in the middle 1800s.

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3. All I want to know is---- does it give me a "heavy" buzz? A "cherry buzz with a hint of tobacco buzz"? Perhaps a headache buzz. The buzz is the important thing after all. I buy wine for 9 bucks for 3 quarts. If I gotta spend 30 bucks for wine with a picture of a sailboat on the label, I do not want it. Or maybe I am just jaded from my time in prison making my own out of rice and oranges.

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4. MRI studies of sommeliers have demonstrated that it is possible to train one's brain to focus on discriminating wines. I'm sure that experienced imbibers have similarly trained their brains to appreciate different flavors and tastes. The columnist himself has stated that he has a weak sense of smell, a major component of taste. (Additionally, his statement that Zinfandel is a native American grape immediately tells me that he is not that knowledgeable about wine.) I encourage people to continue to describe wine how they taste it--whether it's rose petals, pencil shavings, wet dog, or cat pee!

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5. While I agree that describing wine does fall occasionally into the ridiculous, and too many people use the words of a few opinionated writers, most of the aromas that you smell actually are the molecular structures of raspberry, tobacco etc. Of course nothing but grape, barrel and bottle are involved in creating these flavors. This writer might want to get better acquainted with describing the wine experience considering the US now being the #1 market for wine in the world, and his own state is responsible for $30 billion of that market.

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6. I read your Wine Snobbery. Wine is just a weak alcoholic drink. Drink some neutral spirits and for smell and aroma keep a bouquet of flowers handy if so desired. Wine tasting. Be invited, it is a good thing. You are allowed to spit out as much of it if not more , as you let into your mouth. For diversion there is the bouquet to give the rquired aroma and feel.

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7. A more extensive commentary and response to this piece is here: http://tinyurl.com/4pb2aw

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8. I have to agree with POed....how else would one describe a flavor than to refer to a flavor familiar to the listener? It may seem pretentious to some but this article struck me as more Mogan David than Zinfandel or perhaps Baby Duck. I'm sure Mr. Stein will understand.

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9. This is a xenophobic exercise and tells people there is no validity to sensory assessment of wine and thus telling them that they cannot learn it or anything about wine. Just because you think you have diminished acuity, does not mean others do and that they should be limited in their experience with wine. Analogies and metaphors are cute, but associations with smells differ from person to person.

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10. Joel Stein is a critic criticizing other critics. Nothing better to write about today? Hey Joel, why don't you go out and have a glass of wine that makes you want to become a sommelier and then rewrite your article.

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