Systems of Wine Ratings
There are an overwhelming number of wine brands and varieties available in the market and selecting the best wine(s) for one’s money is not always easy. This is where wine ratings come in-to help choose you the finest wine varieties. A number of publications including Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Wines & Spirits etc publish wine ratings by specialists in wine tasting. However, it is important to remember that every individual has his/her own taste or, what we may call, ‘palate’. The ultimate judgment rests with the customer; wine ratings should be considered as broad guidelines or hints for seeking certain varieties preferentially. Also, the ratings by individual publications or sources differ and the customer usually has to try several different sources of ratings before choosing the one that best matches his/her tastes.
The 100 Points Wine Ratings System
The most widely used rating system for wines by a majority of wine experts comprises a 0 to 100 points scale. Various qualities appealing to the wine enthusiast are judged and rated within a specified number assigned to the category as a whole; thus the aroma and bouquet of wine have a combined maximum credit of 33 points; 33 points for mouth; 10 points for finish; and 24 points for the wine’s overall impression. The total score of a wine is then used to classify the wine as classic or great (scoring 95 to 100), outstanding (90 to 94), good to very good (80 to 89), average (70 to 79), below average or just drinkable (60 to 69), or poor/undrinkable (59 or less). This classification, however, varies from one group of experts to another and the customer should familiarize him/herself with the classification scheme of the rating experts before using their wine ratings for making a purchase.
The Alphabetical Notation Wine Ratings System
Some wine experts disagree with the 100 points scale used for wine ratings on the grounds that it does not signify a wine’s maximum potential or the context of enjoying a particular variety of the wine. They point to the importance of considering the typicality of a wine variety and the expectations for that particular class or variety of wine. Hence they prefer to use an alphabetical notation system for wine ratings. This system classifies wines broadly along the scale ranging from A to F. Thus A represents an outstanding wine, B signifies a good wine, C an acceptable wine, D a poor wine, and F an unacceptable wine. A positive (+) or negative (-) sign is used with a rating alphabet to indicate the quality of a wine within its broad category, e.g. B+ for a higher quality of wine in the good wine class. This system of classification is more subjective than the 0 to 100 scale system but it means more to an enlightened consumer who is keen on distinguishing more than just white from red wine.
