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Comment by aaronax | Hacker News Reader

I believe that wine tastings are primarily for the social value, with the socializing eased by the alcohol. Having a guise of learning about the wine (or whatever) is useful.

And my second belief (again generalizing, how I see it, etc.) is that alcohol-free beers are so that you can fit in when at the bar (where again, socializing is the main value) and choosing not to drink alcohol.

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>I believe that wine tastings are primarily for the social value

You have apparently never tasted wine with a sommelier or wine enthusiast, because I can assure you it is 100% about the wine. Socializing is minimal

>with the socializing eased by the alcohol

...the alcohol in the spit bucket?

I have never been to a wine tasting where people are spitting out the wine. But I have read of them so acknowledge that they exist and that you have a fair point.

> wine tastings are primarily for the social value, with the socializing eased by the alcohol

...but you don’t consume the alcohol at a wine tasting so this doesn’t make any sense. If you aren’t consuming any alcohol what is left but valuing the taste?

There are wine tastings (less classy affairs I suppose some would say) where you do consume the wine. For instance I was at the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine recently and the "Tour and Tasting" I was on included about 20 people. All of us swallowed the wine. This has been my experience at many wineries and benefit events over the years.

Perhaps these are technically not "tastings" according to some gatekeeping organization.

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