The new wine language: a simpler concept | Madelyne Meyer | TEDxZurich

The wine world can seem extremely exclusive, expensive, refined, and almost elite. So Madelyne Meyer made it her mission to simplify wine communication. Wouldn’t it be easier and just a little bit more fun if we ordered a glass of wine that had a sweetness level of a Heinz ketchup than ordering an off-dry wine? Swiss wine expert Meyer does not only want to simplify wine language, but she wants to also create a more light-hearted wine world. How does she do this? Listen to her talk!

Madelyne Meyer connects people with wine in an unconventional way. With her website "Edvin," she conveys basic wine knowledge through videos and illustrations. Meyer started her wine journey in California, where she worked for two wineries. Subsequently, the half-Swiss half-American moved to Bordeaux where she studied wine marketing and management and interned for a wine merchant. Today she is the head of marketing and communication at Weinkellereien Aarau and passionately develops Edvin, a source for wine knowledge, ignoring all wine rules.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Picture this.

I'm at a party,

and someone walks up to me, asking,

"What do you do for a living?"

I tell them I work in the wine industry.

Nine out of ten responses are:

(Sighs)

"I have no idea about wine."

It's the oddest reaction

because I don't say,
"I have no idea about medicine"

when someone tells me
that they're a doctor.

(Laughter)

But wine has this
intimidating effect on people.

It intimidated me too.

Then I studied it.

And what a surprise:

studying it is not as fun as drinking it.

(Laughter)

Everything started in California,

where I studied for
my wine specialist certification.

The material was so dry
and rational and technical

that it almost killed my joy for wine.

And that is why I'm here today:

I want to show you guys
a new way of wine communication.

Back in the days,

my learning therapist discovered
that I had issues remembering things.

And she taught me how to memorize
French formulas, maps

with colors and shapes and forms.

Hence that's still how I study today.

I summarize everything
and then illustrate it on my iPad.

For instance,

like these illustrations right here.

But it wasn't only the material
I struggled with;

it was also how wine connoisseurs
and professionals

talked about wine in front of me.

It's like,

"No, I do not get that gooseberry
in that Sauvignon Blanc"

(Laughter)

and "Nope, I'm not detecting any hints
of that dry tomato leaf in the Merlot."

(Laughter)

And I'm pretty sure
you've also been in situations

where wine professionals are all about,

you know, their special rarities
they have in their cellars,

or they talk about vintages,

or they say things like,

"Well, obviously, the Chassagne-Montrachet
Marquis de Laguiche Premier Cru,

Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru,

and Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts
Premier Cru was amazing."

(Laughter)

(Applause)

(Cheers)

It was all vintage 1985 so, like, okay.

So the wine industry
can seem extremely exclusive,

expensive, refined,

and almost a little elite.

So that's my mission:
it's to simplify wine communication.

Wine is culture.

It's a cultural asset
for over thousands of years.

It has been the second-oldest beverage

aside from water.

It's also just Mother Nature's heritage.

It grows in dirt -

no offense to the word "terroir" -

(Laughter)

like any other vegetable or fruit.

And then the aim of winemaking

is to actually produce
fermented grape juice

that tastes good and reflects
a certain parcel of the earth.

By now, you've probably also noticed

that I don't only want
to simplify wine in communication,

but I want to create
a light-hearted wine world.

Wouldn't it be just so much more fun
if we would go into a restaurant

feeling like, "Uh, tonight,
I kind of want a red wine

that has like a sweetness level
of a Heinz ketchup,"

(Laughter)

rather than thinking,

"Ugh, did I like
that semi-dry or off-dry wine?"

[THE 7 WINE SWEETNESS LEVELS]

So I thought about it.

What are these situations that inhibit us?

What are these inhibitions around wine?

And I came to the conclusion
that there's two situations:

First situation is in a restaurant
picking out a wine.

Second situation is you're in a shop
picking out a wine.

So in a restaurant, most restaurants
cannot afford a sommelier.

So you're either stuck
with a wine list of 50 pages

with words you've never
seen in your life,

not to mention pronounced them before,

and then - or you trust
the recommendation of a waiter.

And then it begins.

I cannot tell you how often I have heard
in any group someone say,

"Okay, guys, do you feel
like a fruity or dry wine?"

Those are not opposites.

It's the -

(Laughter)

It's the biggest misunderstanding
in wine knowledge.

Those are not opposites;
these are opposites.

You have the sweetness levels

on this axis.

Sweet, dry -

you can't taste any residual sugar.

And then you have this axis,

where in white wines, it's minerally -

that's the aroma -

and then fruity,

or it's earthy for red wine and fruity.

And if you keep this in mind,

this will help you tell your waiter
what you're kind of looking for.

It's like, "Okay.

White, fruity, dry. Thank you."

Then, second situation -

picking out a wine in a shop.

So you're standing there,
you have the wine shelf in front of you,

there's 200 wines just like -

(Groans)

(Laughter)

You have your budget of 15 francs,

(Laughter)

your eyes wander to the middle part

because you know "those are
my average prices right there,"

and you're like, "Okay,

love that horse."

(Laughter)

(Applause)

[WINE STRUCTURE]

82% of people pick out
their wines like that.

It's efficient,

but the chance of actually getting
what you want is pretty small.

(Laughter)

What if we would approach the wine shelf

with the same efficiency,
with the same budget,

but actually come out with the wine
that matches your taste buds.

Forget everything about aromas.

Wine structures.

They're like equalizers;
they go up and down.

Every one has its structure:
sugar, acidity, alcohol, tannins.

Tannins - red wine.

So, drying-out sensation.

You feel like a crisp, light white wine?

You're probably enjoying acidity.

So go for a Sauvignon Blanc, a Verdejo.

[RED WINE STRUCTURE]

Then you feel like
a bold, powerful red wine.

You probably appreciate tannins,
a little bit more alcohol.

Those pillars go up.

So you're looking for Malbec,
Cabernet Sauvignon, or something.

Just have these in mind.

When picking out wine,

don't forget who
your drinking companions are.

[Bottoms Up]

(Laughter)

What's the occasion?
What are you buying this wine for?

I am going to give you a few tips

so you can blindly choose
a wine from the shelf.

So,

Aperol.

We all love Aperol.

Go for a Sancerre.

It's a Sauvignon Blanc from France.

It's crisp, it's light,

and it will waken everyone up
after a long workday.

Then your boss's birthday.

(Groans)

(Laughter)

Parents-in-law are inviting you over -

oh God, okay.

Any other scary situation.

Do not bring a Burgundy or Bordeaux,

because they will ask you questions.

You probably won't be able to answer them

(Laughter)

and embarrass yourself.

So bring a Brunello di Montalcino.

It's 100% Sangiovese;
it's a top-notch wine.

A celebration:

bring Cava.

Cava is a sparkling Spanish wine
that tastes just like Champagne

but costs half the price.

(Laughter)

Date night:

bring a Ripasso or Amarone.

The higher level of -

(Laughter)

yay!

(Laughter)

The higher level of alcohol
will lower your inhibitions.

(Laughter)

Then family dinner:

bring a Tempranillo.

Everyone loves Tempranillo;
it's a crowd-pleaser.

And at least no discussions
will occur in that area.

And then a party.

To a party, you bring a wine
where the party is located at.

You bring a wine where you're from,
where the host is from.

It's always a nice gesture,

and it's a good icebreaker
for when you don't know the people.

And so on that note,

next time you're at a party

and you meet someone
from the wine industry,

don't tell them that you have
no idea about wine

but ask them what they think
about the aroma of gooseberry.

(Laughter)

Thank you.

(Applause)