Slate Money: "The Pour Decisions Edition"
Date: April 1, 2017
Host: Felix Salmon
Co-hosts: Jordan Weissmann
Guest: Bianca Bosker (Author, "Cork Dork")
Episode Overview
This special sequel to Slate Money’s “wine edition” takes a delightfully offbeat detour from hard business news to focus entirely on the world of wine. Hosts Felix Salmon and Jordan Weissmann are joined by wine journalist and certified sommelier Bianca Bosker, author of "Cork Dork." The trio imbibe assorted wines (blind!), riff on wine economics and culture, debate price-versus-quality, and crack open the secrets of restaurant wine markups, sommeliers, and the crafted mysteries of taste. Spirited, candid, and tipsy—as promised.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Blind Tasting Challenge (00:05–26:22)
- For the episode, each host brings a couple of bottles with the wines tasted blind.
- Felix admits his past hostility to blind tastings, yet they all gamely participate—an ironic nod:
“I spent about half an hour of the first wine episode railing against the insane practice of blind tasting...and so that’s why we're doing it this time.” (Jordan, 02:07)
The Art of Tasting and Spitting (05:00–06:00)
- Bianca describes the ceremony and skill of wine spitting, including tricks sommeliers use at big tastings like La Paulee, a famed Burgundy event:
“It is literally an orgy for wine. That’s how I found this guy that became my guide...he could spit standing five feet away from the bucket.” (Bianca, 05:30)
Does Wine Get Better After Opening? (06:55–08:37)
- Cheap wines sometimes improve after they’ve been open a week, gaining flavor as astringency softens.
Alcohol Levels & Tasting Techniques (09:55–12:15)
- Discussion of how to judge alcohol by “legs” and by the burn on one’s throat.
“You have to be able to tell the difference between 10%, 11%, 12%, 12.5%. And so I feel that—how far down is it in my throat that it’s burning...” (Bianca, 11:41)
Blind Wine Reveal – White Wine #1
- It’s a Grillo from Arianna Occhipinti (Sicily, ~$18, natural wine)
"If I’d known that this was an Arianna Occhipinti, I would have liked it more, I can tell you that." (Jordan, 19:31)
2. Wine Additives, “Natural” Wines & The Great Flavor Debate (12:23–20:25)
- Bianca summarizes her controversial NYT op-ed on industrial vs “natural” wine:
“There are about 62 different additives that can legally be added to wine, and you never have to disclose any of them.” (Bianca, 13:00)
- She argues processed wines have their place, especially as gateways for new drinkers.
- Her piece sparked outrage among natural wine purists—one even posted a photo of her in a wine bar online.
3. Economics of Wine & Restaurant Wine Pricing (22:30–26:07)
- Felix quotes Bianca’s description:
“Wine is a progressive tax on restaurant patrons and the food is basically like your basic payroll tax. ... How much you spend on wine is how much you’re actually going to contribute to the funding of this establishment.” (Felix summarizing Bianca, ~03:12)
- Bianca reveals that high-end restaurants sometimes offer old vintages at prices below auction value due to lack of demand.
- The trio discusses why restaurants mark up wine so heavily (“liquid keeps restaurants liquid”) and the ethics of “freeloading” by not ordering any wine.
4. The Restaurant Sommelier Experience (31:24–34:08)
- Most diners rarely encounter an actual sommelier; skilled servers often step in instead.
- Bianca emphasizes that the best wine lovers are flexible and willing to trust sommeliers—if the expertise is trustworthy.
5. Price vs. Value: Choosing Wine at Restaurants (25:02–26:07; 59:45–63:43)
- Wine pricing correlates with rarity and brand as much as with intrinsic “quality.”
“A $600 bottle of wine is not 10 times better than a $60 bottle of wine. It may be 10 times more rare, it may be 10 times more famous, ... but it’s not just about the taste. It’s about the composite experience of that wine.” (Bianca, 63:12)
- Pro tip: On a restaurant wine list, the sweet spot for value is typically $50–$150, especially for less famous regions.
6. The Subjectivity of "Quality" in Wine (40:10–45:26)
- Bianca frames wine quality as highly subjective and not easily defined—even among experts.
- The group draws a parallel with music: pop hits can be perfectly crafted but sneered at by connoisseurs, just as “manufactured” wines are scorned despite their mass appeal.
- Jordan asserts:
“You will find very few music lovers who don’t appreciate [Call Me Maybe] for the fact that it is this incredibly well-crafted, really beautiful, perfect pop song. ... What I don’t think exists is the equivalent of ‘Call Me Maybe’ in the wine world...” (Jordan, 43:08–44:28)
7. Drinking Wine for Enjoyment, Not Pedigree (46:18–52:46)
- Bianca recounts the madness—and unexpected joys—of grand Bacchanalian events, where rare bottles are consumed wildly.
- They debate whether there’s a “right” way to drink wine; conclusion: not really. Social contexts and pleasure matter as much as analysis.
- On the importance of learning to describe aromas, not just tastes, for deeper wine appreciation.
8. Blind Wine Reveal – “Meat Wine” and Manufactured Wines (53:50–58:16)
- Bianca reveals her “Sledgehammer Pinot Noir,” a mass-market, “bro wine” from California designed to be big, bold, and chocolatey (and nothing like traditional Pinot).
- Sledgehammer’s actual tagline: “Meat wine.”
- Despite the snobbery, the wine is drinkable and arguably more enjoyable than expensive, overly engineered bottles.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Wine Markups & Restaurant Economics
- Felix (Summarizing Bianca): “Wine is a progressive tax on restaurant patrons.” (03:12)
- Bianca: “You’re not paying $14 for the leaves [in a salad]. ... You're paying for the rent, the utilities, the laundry service...” (25:41)
On Additives and "Mad Science" Wines
- Bianca: “They are engineered like Peeps, Oreos, or, you know, new Doritos flavors.” (13:39)
On Tasting & Perception
- Felix: “It’s impossible to read your book without something to drink.” (07:39)
On Wine Snobbery vs Popular Wines
- Bianca: “Bad wines are wines that taste good to large numbers of people.” (41:37)
On Price & Value
- Bianca: “A $600 bottle of wine is not 10 times better than a $60 bottle of wine. … It’s about the label. It’s about what you paid for. And those things do inform the flavor.” (63:12)
On Manufactured Wines
- Bianca: “Sledgehammer was really designed to be a wine for bros ... the actual motto for the wine is ‘Meat wine.’” (54:02, 56:23)
Key Time Stamps
| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:05 | Episode intro, setup for wine edition, guest intro | | 05:00 | The art and social awkwardness of wine spitting | | 06:55 | Wine transformation after being open; experiments with party guests | | 09:55 | How sommeliers assess alcohol level in wine | | 13:00 | Additives in wine; natural vs processed debate | | 19:17 | Blind tasting reveals: Grillo from Occhipinti | | 22:30 | Restaurant economics: why wine is so expensive at dinner | | 31:24 | Encountering (or not) real sommeliers at restaurants | | 40:10 | Is one wine “better” than another? Subjectivity and analogies | | 46:18 | Celebratory wine excess at La Paulee; drinking for joy | | 53:50 | Sledgehammer Pinot Noir: “bro wine” and mass-market creations | | 59:45 | Navigating restaurant wine lists and price cues | | 62:54 | Final advice: good wines, great values, and what makes wine "worth it" |
Final Wine Buying Tips from Bianca (59:45–63:43)
- Avoid “gimme wines” (e.g., basic Cabernets or Sauvignon Blancs on by-the-glass lists) as they carry a markup “tax.”
- Look for lesser-known regions/grapes for better value.
- In restaurants:
- Under $50–$60: higher markup, but okay value
- $60–$150: “sweet spot” for quality and selection
- Over $150: paying for reputation, rarity—not necessarily quality
- In stores: $20–$50 (or $80) buys excellent wine, often from offbeat places—but not the famous big names.
Conclusion
The “Pour Decisions” edition is a rollicking, deeply informed, and refreshingly honest conversation about the culture, economics, and, above all, the joy of wine drinking. The hosts and Bianca Bosker demystify sommeliers, debunk wine snobbery, and remind listeners that wine is--and should always be—about pleasure, curiosity, and personal discovery.
For further reading and fun:
Check out Bianca Bosker’s book, Cork Dork, for even more stories and insights from the front lines of wine obsession.