Taking the measure

Taking the measure

Niek Beute is editor-in-chief of WINELIFE. Every edition he writes a column, in this issue 'The deceptive dream'. TEXT NIEK BEUTE | IMAGE PEXELS.COM

Surprised, I stood watching. It was Friday afternoon and I was standing in one of my favourite Amsterdam wine shops. The visit was part of my wine relay: I tour various wine shops, shopping for the tastings, courses and events I provide.

It was quiet in the shop and I was browsing for gems. A young man came in; he was looking for a dinner wine. After consulting with the exceptionally qualified staff, he was handed a bottle. I had followed the conversation from a distance and thought the suggested bottle was an excellent choice.

Taking the measure

Unabashed, the young man grabbed his phone and looked up the wine online in front of the clerk, only to search for reviews. Not exactly a show of confidence towards the shop assistant. He read these aloud, then said, "This wine only gets 3.6 points. He grabbed another bottle from the rack and did the same with it. 'This wine has 4.2 points, then I'll take this one.' The employee tried to explain that the bottle in question did not match the customer's requirements as well. But the young man had already made his decision. He chose the wine with the higher review, paid for the bottle and walked complacently out of the shop.

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Read the rest of Niek's column in the latest WINELIFE 76. You can order this one here!

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