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| Wine Ratings – I Don’t Care About Them by Vino Vixen |
Jan 03,2008
By
Mari Stull
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We can’t have the Washington Post have the last word on the topic of wine ratings – LocalKicks.com reserves final say on that issue…
And the word is – fuggetaboutem. Or for those of you who have yet to enjoy your evening glass of wine - forget about them. Wine ratings, that is. I don’t care about them and I’ll tell you why you shouldn’t either.
100-Point Wine Rating - Good Idea Gone Bad
The original 100-point wine rating system was originally devised in the early ‘80s by semi-local (Baltimore) wine critic and celebrity, Robert Parker. He developed the rating system to provide objective benchmarks for the following wine characteristics:
• color and appearance
• aroma and bouquet
• flavor and finish,
• and overall quality level or potential
Using this system, Parker published his reviews in his homegrown newsletter The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate, which enjoyed a cult following. And no advertising. The system worked well. Parker personally tasted and reviewed every wine featured in his newsletter and was not under any quid pro quo with or beholden to the wine industry and her advertising dollars.
That was then
That cult newsletter eventually grew into the The Wine Advocate empire which includes The Wine Advocate newsletter commanding $12.50/issue, eRobertParker.com online website (subscription required), eleven best-selling books, and a plethora of Robert Parker endorsed wine accessories (including neckties and cufflinks). The Wine Advocate remains advertising-free from the wine industry, yet Parker and his empire now ARE the wine industry. Additionally, Parker no longer has the time (or likely inclination) to review every wine produced today. In fact, unless The Wine Advocate-reviewed wine is from France, Parker likely never sipped a single drop of it.
Parker’s 100-point rating system was then adopted by Wine Spectator magazine, which is essentially a repository of glossy wine advertisements and a few well-written wine related stories mixed in for interest. Wine Enthusiast also employs the rating system. Most likely, the wine ratings you are reading on that little shelf talker is from one of these magazines. Both magazines rely on marketing and advertising dollars of the very industry that they review and whose products they recommend. I’m not suggesting impropriety, but am suggesting that perhaps Parker’s noble intent may have gone awry…
And finally
Why should you trust a numerical grade tossed out by a complete stranger to guide your wine purchase? Best way to find a wine you’ll enjoy is to taste it yourself first – that’s the beauty of wine tastings. Wine stores offer samples all the time and this area has an abundance of restaurant wine tastings virtually every night of the week (www.clubbv.org; www.localwineevents.com). Obviously, this method is not always practical when tasked with finding the perfect bottle 30 minutes before dinner. Your best ally then is to befriend your wine shop employees and toss our some of your favorite tried and true wines to them and ask for recommendations based upon those. A couple of very good ones in the area are Suzanne at Curious Grape in Shirlington; Caroline at Ricks Wine & Gourmet on Duke Street; Doug at Arrowine in Arlington; and Jane at The Winery on South Washington Street.
Lastly – follow the wine picks of a few wine writers who fully describe the wine with characteristics you prefer. Wine writers’ palates, like personalities, are all different and you will soon develop a rapport with one who fits your own palate. The best wine critics will elevate your wine tastes and broaden your wine horizons. May I suggest adding The Vino Vixen™ to your reading list?
Cheers!
The Vino Vixen™ is Mari Stull–Founder of Club BV*, correspondent for Wine Taste TV, Wine Director at The Carlyle Club, member of the Society of Wine Educators, and syndicated wine columnist. Have a wine question or comment for Mari? Email her VinoVixen@vinovixen.org.
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