How wines are rated
Wine Ratings
Choosing the right wine can be a daunting task especially if you are unfamiliar with the region where the wine was produced, the year it was produced or even the grapes that were used to do so. Wine Ratings exist to help you the consumer, make informed decisions when purchasing a bottle of wine. Wine ratings are normally made by reputable publications, which buyers can then use as a guide; well known publications include the likes of Robert Parker’s ‘the wine advocate’, ‘Wine spectator’, ‘International wine cellar’ among others.
Wine rating by year
Wines that are rated by year are typically vintage wines; the rating relies on information on how the vineyard and grapes that produced the wine from a particular region faired during a certain year. That then becomes the principle factor for the critic of the bottle. Wines rated by year, are normally tasted at the source; that is the vineyard themselves, where the wine taster is guaranteed to have access to untainted samples of the vintage bottle.
Wine Spectator ratings
The publication ‘wine spectator’ provides respected reviews and in depth descriptions of some of the worlds revered wines. The publication was founded in 1976 by Bob Morrisey, and has its own independent wine ratings. Their ratings are published bi-weekly and include information on best buys, wines that have a high potential to mature over time, editor selection and highly recommended selections. Their rating system is also point based on a scale of 50 to 100 with 50 to 60 being sub-par bottles.
Parker wine ratings
The Parker wine ratings were developed by Robert Parker, Jr; who has been in the industry for over 20 years. The ratings rank the collective properties of a wines appearance, aroma, color, and bouquet on a scale of 50 to 100 points.
Wines graded using Parker wine ratings are fairly common in the USA; and retailers typically stock wines that have scrutinized against this Robert Parker’s system. The wine ratings he devised have grown into a bench mark or sorts that heavily influences consumer purchasing, primarily because the methodology he uses is seen as unbiased and independent.
Parker wine ratings are also appreciated as they are not random arbitrary number slapped onto a bottle of wine, but include written commentary of what to expect from a glass of the wine in terms of texture, aroma, value, and it’s potential to turn into a vintage. Robert Parker does admit though that there is really little difference between a wine with a rating of 95 and above in terms of quality.
