I think it's time to tackle wine point ratings. When you see a wine rated at 88 points, 95 points, or if you are lucky enough 100 points, what does this really mean?
Let's first talk about how the points system work. First, you have winemakers who make wine which is a beverage enjoyed by thousands if not millions if you are a really big winery. Secondly, you have wine critics who like restaurant, music or movie critics, critique the wine and rate it on a point scale out of 100. Thirdly, the winery or wine merchant can then use the hopefully high point review to market the wine to increase sales. There are a few problems though ranging from what makes a wine 100 points to the same wine receiving different points based on who reviews it.
How many points would you rate the Eiffel Tower? How many points would the White House be worth? Would the Statue of Liberty be 100 points or is the green a bit to lime for some? Wine like restaurants or movies or music is a form of art, and therefore subjective to the participants. While some may think the God Father is a famous classic, others may view it as a guys guy, gangster movie. While some may view Pucci's Opera, La Boheme, a beautifully composed love story, others may view it as a tad dramatic. Do you see where our first problem lies? How can an art form be given a specific number, potentially defining 100% perfection?
I've noticed that some wines I've had have been rated rather high, in the 92+ point range and honestly I didn't really care for them. Take for instance this wine, Athos from Tuscany, rated 99 points by Luca Maroni, an Italian wine critic of sorts. I recommended it in my picks several months ago as it had good reviews, good score and at a great price in comparison to others. I rushed out, bought three before the LCBO sold out, which it did in literally 24 hours. I made a nice Italian Tuscan meal, cracked the bottle, decanted then poured. While the structure (acid, tannin, oak use etc) and fruit was good, it had residual sugar of around 8Grams/Litre which for a Tuscan wine is rather high considering the average would be well below 4G/L. This tasted more like a new world wine from California or possibly the south of France than beautiful Tuscany. I liked the wine and would recommend it, but would have never given this wine 99 points let alone 95.
Browsing the LCBO and many wine review websites you'll find many different point systems and 8 different reviewers offering a different point rating (interpretation) of the same wine. I have come to see that some wine critics consistently give an above average rating on the points scale compared to others. Think of it this way, if you were a winemaker and someone gave your wine 93 points while others gave you 89, which point would you slap on your bottle to increase sales? It's the latest drama in the wine world, how many points is too many or too little? If you are a struggling new wine critic, the quickest way to get your name out there would be to review a few wines, give them very high ratings and have your point rating and name plastered everywhere for potential buyers to see. Do you see the potential for, in my opinion, false advertising?
No self-respecting sommelier would design a wine list by points. Wine lists are normally sorted by regions, grapes or the new hot thing, style. The sommelier may refer to a wines point rating if it had a high one, but only between discussing the region, the grape, potentially the brief history of the winemaker etc. In my opinion, art shouldn't have a specific end all and be all number attached, except for the price. Wine, like art, should provide a feeling or an interpretation of the creator's work. We don't go to the movies to increase our happy points for the day nor play our favourite song for the same reason, e do it to feel something different. Each wine has a story from where it's grown, to the grapes used, to the person who created it. When a wine is celebrated by drinking it with friends, family or a loved one, in the end, it's kind of priceless occasion...or pointless. The wine you serve at your wedding, or have with dinner the night you plan to propose, how many points would that wine get?
It's not all bad though because, in my opinion, it does help people venture out of their comfort zone and into a potential new region or grape, based on a good rating. For instance, let's say you are going to the store to purchase your standard go-to Chardonnay from California to crack with friends, but you see a Chablis in the same isle rated 95 points. They are both Chardonnay but this new wine is from Chablis (Northern Burgundy, France) so you say what the heck, let's try it. You may now have a new favourite goto or at least opened your eyes to how a different style of Chardonnay could taste. This, in my opinion, is a great thing because in art we should be moved, not remain stagnant. What would be great if instead of having a customer simply see an eye-catching high point rating, perhaps a skilled person like a Sommelier could guide a newer customer towards a new wine to try. The Sommelier does just that, guiding a customer towards a new great wine by explaining how good it is because they have experienced it for themselves and explain why they too, should experience it as well.
The point rating system is a bit of a double-edged sword because it's pretty popular with the average consumer who doesn't know much about wine and if a struggling winery receives a high point rating you can bet your butt they will use it to increase sales. I must say though when a person buys a wine based on points alone my insides cringe a little. If you are comparing 5 Cabernets from Napa and you don't know which one to choose it is possibly a safe bet that a 98 point one will taste better than an 88 point but it depends on how is writing the review. I'd stick with Robert Parker if you like points or our homegrown Canadian talent, Wine Align. My honest suggestion though is to plan a meal and research what type of wine from specific regions or grapes would pair well then start reading some of the reviews of the wine skipping the points. If it mentions that your wine has a small earthy, green note to it, well that may just pair well with the green earthy bay leaf in your stew. You see what I'm saying? Don't worry about the numbers so much, worry about the notes, and pairing them with your meal.
After-all, math can be complicated and wine...well, that can be complicated too.
Happy Sipping,
Ryan Sullivan
No comments:
Post a Comment