Wine ratings? – Episode #178

February 7, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Links mentioned in todays episode.

American Wine Blog Awards

Wine Ratings what do they mean and how does Gary stack his scores against these 90+ scored wines from the MAJOR press.

167 Responses

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February 7, 2007

Susan
Gary-
Great, Great Rant!
I am behind you 200% !!
It is clear in the forum that more people
need to think for themselves!
I got berated for thinking in the forum!
I am telling everyone I am going to insist on being a free thinker!
February 7, 2007

mikeyrad
QOTD, wine basket. I wish I had the time to make wine, but I don’t so I’ll leave it up to the experts.

As far as wine ratings and criticism, I think that their value has more to do with evaluating wine critics that the wines themselves. Since I don’t have the time or budget to taste every wine that Parker, WS or GV does, I base some of my wine buying decisions on their recommendations. If I consistently disagree with a particular critic, I won’t read his or her column, and therefore won’t buy wines based on his/her recommendations. On the other hand, if I find a critic whose tastes are in sync with my own, I’ll be more inclined to buy wines based on his/her judgments.
February 7, 2007

KimW
basket of course
February 7, 2007

RyanWV
qod…….wine basket….
Where is the wedding ring Gary? I have no clue why i noticed this.
February 7, 2007

winejedi
great episode gary. QOTD: i’ll take the wine basket. do you need my shipping address?;)
February 7, 2007

Shotgun
QOD– Huh? Basket o’bargain cooked blended fortified grape juice? Do-it-yourself-salmonella-farm?

No. I will wait for the WL Gulfstream charter to Rhone Valley or Santa Barbara or Adelaide, sipping 100 point wines along the way.
February 7, 2007

Dale Cruse
Basket.
February 7, 2007

leatherpalate
Zen and the art of wine tasting.
Let’s face it,’scores’ are pretty
useful marketing tools especially
when the price is right.
Had the Provenance on Sun. liked it a bit
more than Gary but had it with all kinds of
food including yeah that’s right “authentic Gumbo”
and it rocked. Great episode.

QOD.Basket hands down. anything with the word ‘ making’ in
it implies work.
February 7, 2007

Kyle "The K Man" Davis
I know this probably won’t mean anything but I just wanted to say that I skip over the wines that are graded so high. In fact, I focus on the wines that aren’t scored and make my own scores in my record book at home…It’s a lot more fun that way and it provides a huge variety….I’m only 21 so I’m new to the wine tasting but I must tell you man, your show has got me groovin with the grapes a lot now! I told my Mom tonight when we had a bottle of Mondavi merlot “Mom the complexity is all over the place”….she basically stopped what she was doing and went “What on God’s green earth are you talking about?”…..classic wine moment.

Later man

Kyle “The K Man” Davis

PS – Tailgate next season is a definite.
February 7, 2007

Brookhouser
Wow……good advice…I have to admit at times I go for the scores being a newbie to the wineworld.

QOTD: The Gift basket…..The only way I would make wine is if I could buy the whole damn vineyard….and well….pockets aren’t quite deep enough yet!
February 7, 2007

Lars
QOTD: WL gift certificate. Oh wait. Not a choice. Basket.

Shout Out: Ooh boy. Tough choice. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Who am I kidding? You got my vote, Wine Guy.

Lars
February 7, 2007

R/Eason
Gary,

I like scores, especially when I get a feel for the critic’s palate. Then scores are informative. Why does it matter? Well, if I’m going to drop 30 or 40 bones on a bottle, I like to have some sense (even if it’s only a sketchy sense) of what I’m getting into. Yeah, of course it’s important to decide for one’s self. No kidding. That’s a given. Or at least it ought to be. But sometimes it’s also nice to have a forecast of things to come. I check the weather forecast every morning. Likewise, I’m only too happy to check a critic’s palate forecast on a particular wine before I let it get between me and my bones. Are the forecasters always right? Of course not. But much of the time they are right. Otherwise I (quickly) stop paying any attention to them.

I’m still paying attention, Gary.

R/Eason
February 7, 2007

Salvatore
Basket……….hands down! Who wants to wait a year or more for who knows what! Been there, done that. Scores sometimes help…. pick a very good wine…sometimes Not!
February 7, 2007

awin
I do not totally buy into wine ratings but they can be guide. I perfer to taste the wine before I buy but I do not always have the opp so I will use Robert Park for resource.
February 7, 2007

TimF
QOD: basket…
February 7, 2007

Marc Mc
wine basket, I don’t want to make wine in WI, too hard to source good grapes.

I may try Crushpad.
February 7, 2007

JonE
Tough qunadry on the scroes G-Man, I feel your pain. But have been tonning out Holly’s Blend specifically because of its scroe at my two shops. I too shared your opinion though, it was good not 90 points good. As for the Hermit Crab, I hope the 05′ was all they you say it is. Because the 04′ was a bomb, a bad stinky bowl of flinty swamp bomb. Oh, if we could only blame it on stelvin.

QOTD: Wine basket by far. I respect winemakers too much, and know that I am not skilled in their trade though thoroughly enjoy their efforts.
February 7, 2007

Vinifera
Great episode! I’m so going to seek out that ‘Hermit Crab’…..

I would definitely take the wine kit. Even though I love good wine…I don’t earn enough to drink $20 or more bottles daily. Some of the higher end wine kits cost about $100-$150 and make 30…bottles of wine…and thats not 30 bottles of crap wine…..figure wine in the $15-20 category. Not to mention…it is a RUSH coming home from work and pushing down the grape cap on your OWN Santa Ynez Syrah….or pressing or bottling your own Super-Tuscan. Imagine making a decent tasting Amarone for $4/bottle. Ahhh…I’m drooooooooling….
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bum Shoulder
I’ll let the experts make the wine. I’ll enjoy the wine and stare at the basket.
February 7, 2007

lizzy42
Wine basket :O) Great episode!
February 7, 2007

Celia
great episode today!
Basket all the way… especially if it where put together by you, maybe for the novice. Different varietals in like-price ranges!
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bum Shoulder
Typo on name. Sorry.
February 7, 2007

Chad's Bumb Shoulder
Basket all the way. When you reviewing VA wines?
February 7, 2007

Rick "The Model" M
awesome episode today man
February 7, 2007

John Blue Label
Gary,
Nice discussion. I actually will spend the time and read the tasting notes for a premium bottle of wine. I feel I have to do my due diligence to make sure I’m not making a big mistake. That’s why I find WLTV so valuable. And Chris’s spreadsheet really helps. For a lower priced wine, if I see a good score, I don’t feel too bad about spending a few bones and giving it a whirl.
QOTD: Wine basket: don’t have time to make my own.

JW