Hey, look: we're all intelligent people who make careful, considered decisions. And in the interest of maximizing our reward-to-cost ratio, I think that we should inform ourselves as to what really makes us happy.
It's been a number of years since I first heard the Freakonomics on whether expensive wines taste better, and it has informed the way I think about my own tastes in profound ways. But every time I bring it up with people who know wine, the conversation goes nowhere.
I'd like to hold an event. Call it an experiment, call it a party, call it interactive performance art. We find a venue - probably not a wine bar, but an event space with a liquor license - and all chip in on a big double-blind test. We pre-sell tickets to fund the purchase of a variety of bottles, and have some knowledgeable - and some not-so-knowledgeable - people curate the tasting selection. Then, while most of the crowd mingles, small batches of participants are called forward to have their preferences tested. As the night goes on, we all get to taste, and by the end of the evening we're ready to release results and show what we, as a group, all really like.
I think it might teach us all a lot about ourselves and the degree to which we really know what we like - and better yet, I think it'll be fun!
If you agree and live in/can get to NY, fill in your info below and I'll be in touch.