Unpacking wine ratings: why this enthusiast disregards the points system and what to do instead.

You’ve seen them, I’m sure. I’m talking about wine ratings. This Pinot Noir is 93 points, and that one is 97! You must’ve seen them; wineries slap stickers on their bottles. They also promote high scores in advertisements and their websites. And who can blame them! Someone thought highly of their wines and the ads and stickers help boost sales. You know what I’m talking about, right? Yes, I’m sure you’ve seen them.

Well, you won’t be seeing them from me. And in the next few paragraphs I will try to make my case. So, read on!

What Even Are Wine Ratings?

Let’s get this explanation out of the way first. Ratings are about quality, not about your enjoyment of the wine. Sure, the system rates color, aroma, and flavor, but only relative to similar wines. That is, same style or region. In other words, a critic will rate a Cabernet Sauvignon comparing it to other Cabs and will rate a Chianti Classico comparing it to other red wines from the same region[i].

Most critics rate wines on a scale from 50[ii] to 100. But some don’t even publish anything below 80, because below 80 means that the wines are flawed. Anything below 60, by the way, spells undrinkable.

Just Who Does These Ratings, Anyway?

Robert Parker, though I don’t know for sure if he did it first, started rating with a 100-point scale in the 1980s, and history widely gives him the credit for popularizing it. Robert (Note to self: don’t call him Peter) Parker is a retired wine Critic. That’s right. Capital C. One of the most famous wine critics, and certainly the most influential of his time. So much so, that most critics still use this system nowadays.

Name the critic and they probably rate wines on this scale. Sometimes panels of experts working for a publication, other times a wine influencer in social media.

Are Wine Ratings Helpful?

I have something to say about ratings, and I will in a second, but fair’s fair: wine ratings might be helpful if they come from a trusted critic and are for wine styles you know. If a critic usually nails it for you and they’re giving mid-90s scores to Carménères from Colchagua—your usual jam—it’s probably a safe bet to grab that Carménère from another valley that they also rated highly.

When in doubt, might as well go for a rated wine than an unrated one. I mean, someone liked it, right? There’s a flaw here, of course, and that’s the perfect transition for me to talk about why I pay little attention to wine scores. Stay tuned!

The Flaws of Wine Ratings Systems

When buying your next bottle, you will likely select one with a high rating, especially over unrated wines of a similar price range. Before you commit, let’s talk about some things you should consider:

Often, Reviewers Hide Bad Scores

I mentioned this above. Some reviewers won’t publish anything below 80 points, and none will bother with anything below 70. It should not come as a surprise that most publications concentrate their efforts in popular and commercial regions. You’ll find more critics testing wines from Bordeaux than Itata[iii].

Critics Don’t Rate Most Wines

And by most, I mean over 80% of all wines remain unreviewed. Think about that next time you see a wine without a rating. Did someone give it a poor rating, or did no one review it at all?

Critics Have Biases

Do you know if the reviewer shares your wine preferences? If you, like me, are not really into oaky Chardonnays, but the critic loves them, can you trust that you will like their recommended Chards? Truth be told, they’ll rate the styles they like higher than those they don’t. It’s important to know what the critic enjoys and see if your preferences match.

There’s No Common Standard

A publication might rate a particular Rioja 92 points, while for a different reviewer, the same wine scores a 95. The whole point of a scale is that you can measure wines against each other. Is the system flawed if you can’t even compare the same wine between two critics? Now imagine a third critic with the same three-point differential, but in the other direction. I don’t like that different critics can give the same wine scores ranging from 89 to 95.

I will not be rating wines anytime soon[iv]. Now, let’s be fair. I’ve been talking smack about the system in the past few paragraphs, but I have all the respect in the world for actual wine critics. It’s a tough job, and they know their stuff. In comparison I’m just a hack. So, partially, you won’t see reviews from me because I humbly concede that others will do a better job.

I mean, would I really be able to explain the difference between a score of 92 and a 93? Could you taste the difference?

The Last Drop

And with that out of the way, my advice is to pay less attention to scores (unless you know and trust the critic), and more to the review notes. I know, reading, what a drag, eh? But no joke, even Robert Parker agrees:

My advice? Disregard the score. Buy your wines from trusted sources and ask about their wines. They will guide your purchase to something that suits your tastes better than a sticker slapped on the bottle ever will.

But that’s just like, my opinion, man. How do you feel about wine ratings? Do you trust them? Let’s keep talking about them in the comments below!

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Footnotes

[i] As long as they follow Chianti Classico regulations, of course. It would be barking up the wrong tree if they rate a Chianti Classico made with 100% Sangiovese relative to a Super Tuscan made with 100% Merlot.

[ii] 50 is the baseline. From there, wine critics add points based on eyes, nose, palate, improvement potential, and aging qualities gained.

[iii] Cool wine region in the south of Chile, making excellent wines with the Cinsault varietal.

[iv] Which is a lie. You know that app to collect, compare, and review wines? Every now and then I remember it’s there and use it to—yup—rate wines. If I become famous, though, I might delete my ratings. Please, don’t ever be influenced by whatever whimsical and unscientific number I, for whatever reason, decided that some wine was worth way back when.

[v] Face to face, but it really means “in relation to”.

[vi] Parker, R. TWA Rating System. Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

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Cover Image: Wine Ratings influence how we buy wine. Photo by Oleksandr Gamaniuk.