Gooseberries are wine professionals’ go-to descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc. Usually New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, to be precise. But honestly, how many of us wine professionals have personal experiences with these berries? Have you had gooseberries? What do they smell like? How do they taste? Based on my experience of having listened to plenty of industry people ignorantly use different descriptors over the years (“tropical fruits”…can you please be more specific?), I’m going to bet that most of us have no idea.

To prove my point, a wine professional who has been in this industry for nearly 3 decades, was pouring a South African Sauvignon Blanc for me when he described the nose, without me asking mind you, as “classic gooseberry notes”. The previous day I was discussing with another colleague the ridiculousness of this precise descriptor. So I took the opportunity to ask this veteran professional if he had had gooseberries before. He answered CONFIDENTLY, “no, I’ve never had gooseberries, but when I think about what they would taste like, this is it.” There was so much conviction with which he answered the question. ay!

Years ago, when I first began my journey into wine as a consumer, before quickly pivoting into wine as a profession, I would’ve been in awe of his palate and impressed with his ability to smell, taste, and describe wine so precisely. I would’ve aspired to this level of wine knowledge. I would not have had the confidence to question anything he said. The man just regurgitated a descriptor I’ve heard countless wine professionals use and admitted to not having any personal experience with it.

“We can only come up with a description for molecule mixtures that we recognize from experience, or for individual molecules that we recognize as being a prominent part of familiar mixtures….we can’t recognize and evaluate a flavor or smell unless we’ve actually experienced it or something like it before.

”

— Harold McGee in Nose Dive

Gooseberry is one example of the countless descriptors in the wine language. This is problematic. As we in the industry continue to use languages that have been memorized and regurgitated rather than from personal connections and experiences, we continue to perpetuate the existing culture of wine that is intimidating and unwelcoming to everyone, especially wine drinkers and those interested in exploring a career in wine.

When people ask me why I got into wine, I always say that one of the most beautiful things about wine is that it can be a great connector; a delicious beverage that brings people together. That’s not possible if we are not genuine in how we talk about wine. It is when we center each others sensory + cultural reference points in the language and culture of wine, that we will be able to invite more people to the (wine) table.