Blind tasting is a very odd activity. Contrary to what many imagine, it has nothing to do with blindfolds. It involves tasting a wine without seeing the label and it can deliver shocking surprises. I tasted seven non-vintage champagnes blind with a group of professionals recently. There was horror when they discovered the wine most of them preferred carried a label they regarded as their least favourite. That sort of result is especially common with champagne, arguably the most image-driven – rather than quality-driven – wine of all. But it happens all the time when wine is tasted blind.
盲品(blind tasting)並不是大多數人想像中的蒙著眼睛品酒，而是通過純品嚐而非看酒標來對葡萄酒進行評價。這是一種奇特的活動，因爲它常常爲參與者帶來無比的震撼。最近，我與一組專業人士對七款無年份香檳(non-vintage Champagne)進行了盲品，而最終的結果令這些人士如坐鍼氈，因爲他們發現在盲品中很多中意的酒款，居然是自己在平日飲用時最看不上的那些。由於賣相常常比質量更具影響力，這樣的結果在香檳的盲品中尤其正常，不過在幾乎所有葡萄酒的盲品中，這種事情也時常發生。