Wine rating systems are great, once you understand that ratings are subjective. How one person’s palate reacts to a wine is not necessarily how yours will. For regular consumers (and failed court sommeliers), knowing how the main systems work helps you read wine culture and, at an absolute minimum, dollars and cents: i.e. price.
So, with the help of Lord Wikipedia, Viceroy Google and Sir Mix-a-lot, let us pop the cork on wine ratings. Most people only recognize a handful of systems, and most of them were popularized by magazines and critics. Nearly all use some version of a 100-point scale.
The 100-point scale that starts at 50
Despite the name, these scales don’t really start at zero. Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate score from 50 to 100, and Wine Enthusiast only publishes reviews of wines that score 80 or higher. In practice, nearly everything you see on a shop shelf sits between 80 and 100, which makes an 85 sound worse than it is: on Wine Spectator’s scale, 85 is “Very good.”
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator gives a single overall grade rather than adding up points for color, aroma and finish. Its current bands:
- 95–100: Classic, a great wine
- 90–94: Outstanding
- 85–89: Very good
- 80–84: Good
- 75–79: Mediocre
- 50–74: Not recommended
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast doesn’t publish scores below 80. Its bands, as I found them while writing this:
- 98–100: Classic
- 94–97: Superb
- 90–93: Excellent
- 87–89: Very good
- 83–86: Good
- 80–82: Acceptable
The Wine Advocate
The Wine Advocate, started by Robert Parker, did more than anyone to popularize the 50–100 scale. Parker has since retired and Michelin now owns the publication, so today’s scores come from a team of reviewers rather than one palate. Its bands:
- 96–100: Extraordinary
- 90–95: Outstanding
- 80–89: Barely above average to very good
- 70–79: Average
- 60–69: Below average
- 50–59: Unacceptable
Another name you will see is Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, which joined Vinous in 2014. Publications change their wording and cut-offs over time, so check the current scale before you compare scores.
How I use them
- Check which scale it is. A 92 from one publication is not the same band as a 92 from another. Wine Enthusiast’s “Classic” starts at 98; Wine Spectator’s starts at 95.
- Remember it is one critic’s impression of a wine at a particular moment, not a measurement.
- Compare within one publication, then trust your own palate.
- Watch the price. Price tends to follow points, so a good 88 can be a bargain.
Wrapping up
I’m not a sommelier, and I’m not going to chase points. For me a rating is a starting point, and the real test is a glass of wine with a good piece of cheese. If you’re stuck on what to pour, see What wine or whiskey goes with cheese?.