Wine Ratings. Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator Don’t Agree. – Episode #149

December 18, 2006

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Wines tasted in this episode:

Wine Ratings mean so much or do they? Today Gary Vaynerchuk tries to settle the score on 4 wines from California that Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast couldn’t agree on. Scores range from 67 to 95 on this episode so sit back and grab a nice Cabernet where we land on these.

103 Responses

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  1. October 6, 2009

    John J.

    Nice to see another opinion on those wines, especially since they scored so differently Gary.
    Would be really nice to see you do a vin jaune episode

  2. April 6, 2008

    Grif

    Your tablecloth makes the Jets emblem on your spit bucket look a bit purple. This is reminiscent of the problem Lars was having. Love your show. I’m watching them in order and have a long way to go.

  3. February 25, 2008

    Mike Best

    The market lacks the transparency in wine ratings and wine pricing. Wine producers and wine merchants know a great deal about them. On the other hand, the public in general has no way of knowing or determining the ratings and pricing on the spot, while buying wine at the store or over the net.

    As a result, the wine merchant has an upper hand in these transactions and can induce the buyer into buying a low ranking wine or grossly overpriced wine. Often, we see wine bottles prominently for sale at a local store at say, $25 a bottle. A quick check shows that its ‘street price’ is only $8.

    If the wine industry was regulated same way as, say, debt or equity markets, you would see a lot of wine dealers and wine merchants behind bars.

    Well, the industry is not regulated and you and I are taken to the cleaners every day.
    This site is designed to level the playing field. Next time you buy a bottle of wine check WineRank.com on your cell or PDA for prices and wine ratings.

    The website uses a 100-Point Wine Rating Scale. Ratings, directly or indirectly, are based on chance and probability. There is a continuum of wines from exceptionally good to good, so-so, to just awful and vinegar. A scale that doesn’t incorporate these extremes simply doesn’t do justice to wine. As a matter of fact, even the best and the most expensive wines degrade with time and go to wine hell – the vinegars. Some wines take 100 years to get there, some are born that way.

    To ignore the universe of wine ratings and to focus only on the upper part of the rating scheme is just plain wrong.

    We’re attempting to right the wrong. We give you the real prices. And we give you a true 100-Point Wine Ratings Scale.

  4. February 13, 2008

    thefanjestic

    This is probably one of if not my favorite episode!

    Qotd: I sent in two seperate videos on 2 seperate occasions – 1 10 seconds long and the other was about 5 minutes long! So I delivered but did Gary play them – answer sports fans – NO! And my precious baby girl was extremely disappointed her “I brought the thunder in my pants” line didn’t make the show. Probably because of the Sideways book – oh well, I did what I could….no love from the GV, not even a keep trying?…..cold blooded GV! ;)

  5. January 20, 2007

    Goosecross Cellars Blog

    [...] And, of course there was Gary on Wine Library TV, tasting through and talking about the vast gulf separating the Wine Enthusiast and the Wine Spectator ratings of 4 different wines and offering his own opinion.  Who are we supposed to believe????   [...]

  6. December 21, 2006

    Schnazola

    So, a wine that tastes like rotten green peppers and has a finish that “tastes like crap” scores 82 points from GV. Curious. One wonders what a wine has to taste like to get a bad score.

    Seems like GV uses a 20-point scale, not a 100-point scale.

  7. December 21, 2006

    Marty E

    Found you in the LA Times. You have an incredibly unique approach to getting regular people to trust their own palate in evaluating wines that work for them – sounds simple, but some people just need to be “nudged” in the right direction. How 2 respected publications can have such varying opinions makes you think there may be something else behind their ratings other than the actual taste of the wines themselves. Keep it up – I’ll be back for MORE!!

  8. December 21, 2006

    LXA_Harris

    I love how excited you got over the “black raspberry” reference on the Robert Young. I totally went and bought some red currant jelly and am tasting it every day since that episode. Maybe next week I’ll get black currant. Too bad that Ehlers is waaay out of my price range, I’m still waiting for the best wines under $8 episode. As for the QOTD, I think sometime over the summer me and the boys of lambda chi alpha will hook you up with a SWEET intro video.

  9. December 20, 2006

    Miguel Arias

    loved your videos, saw your ad in the LA TIMES

  10. December 20, 2006

    Cliff A

    Wine Ratings. Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator Don’t Agree. – Episode #149: Great episode. Here is another instance of a wide range in ratings. Havens Bourriquot Napa Valley 2001: Spectator (Laube) 67, Wine Advocate (Parker) 90, IWC (Tanzer) 91-94. I got a bottle of this from a monthly wine club I was in. Had to taste it! Result – I ordered another 6 bottles. My tastes were with Parker and Tanzer. I don’t know where the Spectator is at times anymore. This is not the first time I’ve experience this kind of range in ratings. One doesn’t live and die by the ratings, but they are an indicator. I tend to go more with who distributor is , the vintage and the winery. Then comes the ratings from the pros. Although I do aligne with Parker and will buy solely on his rating for a wine that I am other wise unfamiliar with. Keep up the good work – Gary.

  11. December 20, 2006

    Rich S

    Gary,

    Ehlers Estate totally rocks. Their 2002 Estate Merlot is probably the best merlot I have ever had in my life. I think it was in the WS Top 50 last year. On top of that, it was totally reasonable (around $30 a bottle). If anyone out there can find it, seek it out!!!!

  12. December 20, 2006

    Rich T.

    I need the equiptment, would love to be in a intro, but still using 8MM vide recorder

  13. December 20, 2006

    AndyCAK

    Gary,

    I have been a lurker since episode #5, so I’m finally getting in on this episode. Let me make a couple of my own observations. I really give the Wine Enthusiast very little credit for their scores. They don’t have a track record of consistency in their scores. Also, and please don’t take offense, I generally do not give critics who also retail wine that much weight (though you are gaining ground my friend) as there is a serious conflict of interest. I feel, and this episode confirmed it, that the Wine Enthusiast has a greatly inflated scoring system compared to either the Advocate or the Spectator. Thanks for the vCast and congrats on being named the Time Magazine “Person of the Year”!!!

    Andy Compton
    Anchorage, Alaska

  14. December 19, 2006

    Doug T

    Gary,

    Nice episode again …. OK, it rocks !! I’ve been a ratings hound for a long time because I don’t have a great job like yours. I can’t try even a small percentage of all the latest wines. I won’t give up the ratings but it’ll sure make me think twice. I was very disappointed with the Mt. Eden, it’s been a fav of mine since the 1993. Hope they turn it around.

  15. December 19, 2006

    Mark S.

    Gary,
    One of the years best episodes…. I don’t know who Joe Mars is but you shoud send him a ccouple bottles of wine for all the incremental business he helped you generate. The comparisons idea is great. Next time, reverse and TRY to fine WS above WE.
    Thanks for all the great shows.

    Mark S.

  16. December 19, 2006

    Adrian

    Dude you have the best job on Earth…I bet you love trying all thoose great wines…I loved this episode due to the fact that Robert Young is a personal friend of mine. I thought you were right on the money with your review… Robert and a crew of about 10 of us get togther once a month or so and do a wine tasting bible study…I know it sounds funny, but it more like a reason to kick the girls out of the house and have a guys night…We eat amazing food, discuss wine and puff on cigars…It is great…If your ever in Northern Cali…ie Santa Rosa look me up…We would love to have you come by and give us your thoughts…Later Van-ner

  17. December 19, 2006

    Karl B.

    Hi Gary,

    these ratings were from Jim Laube of Spectator since they were all California. Outside of Shafer, who he has canonized, he has been killing California product especially the 2003s. My point is that this performance is not Spectator reflective, but recent Laube work.

    We are both rooting for the Patriots this weekend, Go Pats!

    This was a great show! Keep it up.

    Karl B.

  18. December 19, 2006

    Ralfi Nadal

    This episode is one of my favorite. Lots of cabernet s., one of my favorite.. good choice of wine

  19. December 19, 2006

    good old ludwig van

    Loyal viewers will enjoy a little inside joke in this episode. On Friday’s show, when Gary tastes white pepper, he accidentally gets some in his eye. Today, when tasting the first wine, as soon as he says it has a white pepper note, he reflexively rubs his eye. I laughed–maybe he’s created a Pavlovian response in himself with bad memories of pepper!

  20. December 19, 2006

    Jonathan

    Dugg brought me here, but you made me stay. :) Great site. I’m officially hooked.

  21. December 19, 2006

    Genghis

    Oh, and QOTD:
    I get my camera over winter break, you’ll have Winelibrary TV: College coming your in mid-to-late January.

  22. December 19, 2006

    Genghis

    Oh man. My favorite part is the nose that was like a forest with…you know…”rattlesnakes and bears.”

    I guess Gary has something new to try next time he does a palate episode.

  23. December 19, 2006

    Eric

    QOD: No moula for a camera… spent it all on wine….. sorry!

  24. December 19, 2006

    MichaelP

    gotdamn the Ehlers is sold out! getting anymore?

  25. December 19, 2006

    mike volker

    Somebody I know actually rated JL at 67 recently.

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