2025-05-08
5 分钟The Economist Hello, this is Alok Jha,
host of Babbage, our weekly podcast on science and technology.
Welcome to Editor's Picks.
We've chosen an unmissable article from the latest edition of The Economist.
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Six esteemed sommeliers sit silently behind a judging table.
A waiter tops up their glasses, one by one, and they appraise the stuff.
Sniff, hold it to the light, sometimes swirl, sip,
swish between cheeks, dump the extras, and give it a score.
But the liquid is no zinfandel or syrup.
Instead, the bonvives are tasting high-end waters.
The competition launched this year's Fine Water Summit in the swanky Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta,
Georgia.
With 1,100 bottles imported from 35 countries, it is the biggest event of its sort.
The assembled connoisseurs from Hong Kong to France and California have paid $975 each.
for a weekend of talks and tastings coordinated by Michael Masher,
the group's Austrian founder who lives in Texas.
Most are middle-aged, very foodie, and unusually fit.
Many are among the 250 water sommeliers ordained by Mr. Masher's academy.
Months of training have taught them to appreciate how minerality changes water's flavor,