Understanding Wine Ratings

Searching for a new wine can be an intimidating process.  Wines labeled with professional ratings can make it harder instead of easier.  Does a good rating automatically guarantee a great wine?  Maybe not.  Wine is a subjective experience, and what makes a wine wonderful depends on the taste of the drinker.  Understanding the ratings process of several of the top reviewers is a great step toward making sense of wine ratings and using them as a tool to choose the best wine for any taste or occasion.

Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator are two of the best known wine review systems.  Robert Parker, who rates the wines for Wine Advocate, uses a point scale that ranges from 50 to 100.  Wines rated 59 or less are considered unacceptably poor, 60-69 are rated below average, and 70-79 are average.  80-89 is above average, 90-95 is outstanding, and anything above 95 is an extraordinary wine.  However, these numbers are still somewhat difficult to understand. 

Things are clearer when you consider that Mr. Parker’s numbers are only compared to other wines of the same type.  In other words, if a Cabernet is rated a 90 but a White Zinfandel is rated an 85, it does not necessarily mean that the Cabernet is the better of the two wines.  Each wine begins with 50 points.  Extra points are added for color and clarity, aroma and bouquet, flavor and finish, and overall impression.  Although Mr. Parker has one of the most refined palates in the world, he is only human and does seem to have a preference for ripe wines and high acidity.

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator uses a similar 50 point scale for their reviews and recently have moved to a four point range for new wines.  Wine Spectator uses several tasters for their ratings, sending editors to blind tastings.  Because they use more than ten people for their ratings, the numbers can range widely due to personal preference.  It is difficult to establish trends among their ratings, so the best bet is to simply try their top picks.

Even the experts agree that the ratings aren’t perfect.  When questioned by W. Blake Gray at the San Francisco Chronicle, expert reviewer Stephen Tanzer and Wine Spectator editor Thomas Matthews gave an interesting response.  Popular varietals like Riesling, Cabernet and Pinot Noir are likely to receive higher ratings, while even the best Beaujolais or Sauvignon Blanc are unlikely to be rated higher than 90 points.

The best way to judge a reviewer’s preference is to purchase one or two low priced, highly rated wines and try them for yourself.  With more than one bottle to try, you should be able to match your own preferences to the ratings of the professionals and make a better wine choice.  Use professional ratings as a general guideline, a starting point to find the best wines for each individual.  Most retailers provide ratings from several sources to give a wider view of the wine’s overall quality.