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Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

When Wine Spectator tasters review a wine, I often see the comment "Tasted twice with consistent notes." It seems obvious to me that the notes would be consistent if the wine was tasted immediately afterward and from the same bottle. Is this the case, or is it tasted sometime later and/or from a different bottle?

—Paul G., Berkeley Heights, N.J.

Dear Paul,

We're not trying to trick you. When "tasted twice with consistent notes" is used, it refers to two distinct bottles that were both tasted blind. Either both bottles appeared in the same blind tasting, or the two bottles turned up in two separate blind tastings. Wine Spectator editors regularly retaste wines to confirm their impressions, and we want to let you know when that happens.

—Dr. Vinny

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