Don't Believe the Hype.
Big blind tastings are fun, but just publicity stunts.

Chile makes some great red wines--no one doubts that. And yesterday in New York Errazuriz, one of the most prestigious estates in Chile, held a blind tasting of its own wines against several others. The 70-odd critics in attendance recorded their scores and, in the end, the Errazuriz Kai Carmenère ($80) beat out legends Opus One ($150), Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($600) and Sassicaia ($160), to name a few.

Are the Errazuriz wines great? Definitely. But when you read about blind-tasting competitions on wine blogs or in forums, remember to take them for what they are: A little bit of fun hype, not serious wine-buying advice.

In these tastings, the outcome is usually heavily weighted. Yesterday there were five Errazuriz wines in the lineup of ten total--at least one was bound to do well. Keep in mind, too, that nearly all the wines tasted were prestigious and expensive--not your everyday, after-work sippers. It's sort of like comparing a group of Bugattis and Lamborghinis--fun to scrutinize, compare and contrast, but you'd be overjoyed to have anything in that realm, regardless of where it's made.

Most important to know: Chile offers a wide range of incredible wines, from cheap to pricey. Yes, Errazuriz is definitely in the same league as the big boys, but if you really want some solid advice on what Chilean wines to drink, keep an eye on your inbox for tomorrow's Daily Sip. We'll have five delicious picks from Chile that can also hold their own against the best in the world--but they won't break the bank.

Tell us what you think about the big blind tastings below.

Now for our recap. Here's how the critics voted, from best to worst (bolded were our top three picks), along with their point totals. All wines were from the 2006 vintage:

1. Errazuriz Kai Carmenère ($80); 58.5 points

2. Opus One, Napa ($150); 58 points

3. Chateau Haut-Brion, Bordeaux ($575); 54.5 points

4. Errazuriz Don Maximiano ($90); 44 points

5. Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Bordeaux ($750); 36 points

6. Errazuriz La Cumbre ($80); 34 points

7. Errazuriz Seña ($100); 31 points

8. Stag's Leap SLV Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa ($75); 28 points

9 (tie). Sassicaia, Tuscany ($160); 22 points

9 (tie). Errazuriz Vinedo Chadwick ($180); 22 points

Can Errazuriz claim victory? For taking top prize, perhaps. But there are a couple more things to consider about blind tastings in general--and this one in particular.

The first is that the critics were asked to rate only their top three wines; the accountants on hand awarded three points for each first-place vote, two for second and one for third. That means that a wine, in theory, could earn only a few first-place votes, but get enough seconds and thirds to push it into first place. This might very well have happened, since the margin at the top was a mere half point. Also, one critic apparently voted for a tie (hence the half points on two wines). If he or she hadn't done so, it might have been second place or worse for Errazuriz.

Also, look what happened to the winery's two selections over three digits in price: They're in the bottom half, in seventh and last places, and three of the five Chilean wines are in the bottom half. And the fourth-place wine is a full 10 points outside the top three--that's a pretty significant gap.

Then again, one can interpret the results any way he or she wishes. Maybe Carmenère is just a genuinely tastier grape than Cabernet, which represented most of the lineup. Also, consider what happened before the second-place wine was revealed: A French member of the audience not only rated it his top wine, but said to the rest of the room that it was very likely a French wine--it turned out to be Opus One from Napa. This leads to the most important point of all:

If the critics were to come back today and taste the same wines blind, all over again, the scores would most certainly be completely different. All five Chilean wines could come out on top, on bottom, or scattered up and down the list again, in different order. Ultimately, blind tastings are all about luck on the day. Perhaps more so, they're just an excuse for wine geeks to go into one room to test their skills with and against each other, and maybe earn some bragging rights until the next big blind tasting.

And there's always another one around the corner. They're entertaining for the critics, but not necessarily helpful to you, the everyday, passionate, fun-lovin' wine drinker. So when the next high-profile tasting rolls around, you decide how much faith to place in it--if any at all.

Tell us what you think about the big blind tastings below.