"Easy to drink" used to be praise for wine. Now it's an insult.

Many retailers won't write "easy to drink" on sales materials, and sommeliers won't use it on wine lists. The implication is that these wines are unsophisticated. As a result, we've entered an era of difficult drinking.

"If I give [an easy-to-drink] Cabernet 94 points, I would have to spin it," says Wilfred Wong, Beverages & More cellar master and writer of most of the chain's point-of-sale materials. "Rich tannins. Soft tannins. Calling it 'easy to drink' would be an insult to wine geeks."

So what does "easy to drink" mean, exactly? Read more...