Are Wine Ratings and Awards Still Relevant?
Since the introduction of the 100-point system in the 1970s by American Robert Parker, wine professionals and enthusiasts have referenced wine ratings and awards for their portfolio and consumption needs respectively. Pre-Robert Parker, reviewers described wines in terms of their style or “personality”; Parker’s new scoring system sought to provide a more objective, standardized system of evaluating wine, one with descriptors AND a metric system that was precise and easily discernible by professionals and consumers alike.
Though initially slow to gain acceptance, subsequent decades realized the meteoric rise of Robert Parker scores, which led to numerous other critics, journalists/wine writers, publications and competitions developing wine ratings and awards. Each entity created their own evaluation criteria and processes, with varying rubrics and rating systems, ranging from points systems, adjectives/descriptors (such as Value, Good, Great, Excellent/Outstanding) and/or symbols (from stars to wine glasses!).
These ratings and awards have played a significant role in purchasing decisions at the import/distribution, hospitality and retail, and consumer levels, shaping perceptions of the quality of many wines (and brands), and setting trends for grape varieties (remember the trend for big, bold, fruit- and oak-driven Californian Cabs?), wine types or styles (hello Prosecco!) and regions (Portuguese whites and reds, anyone?) at national, regional and international levels.
In recent years, advances in technology have made access to information on wine much easier, especially to formal certifications from regionally- and globally-renowned bodies, and from other resources (including social media). Along with increased travel to the ever-expanding selection of wine tourism destinations and other tasting experiences, professionals and enthusiasts are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about wine, realizing more discernment in their palates and wine style and type (and brand) choices.
Which begs the question, are wine ratings and awards still important in the 2020s and beyond?
How Wine Ratings and Reviews Work
Whether individuals or panels, evaluators are typically professionals from the import/distribution, HoReCa, retail or education sectors of the wine industry, including the highly certified (MW, MS and/or DipWSET), those with extensive experience, and/or experts in specific wine-making regions/countries or wine styles.
As each evaluator observes, sniffs and sips, they are assessing each wine’s color and appearance, aroma and flavour intensity and respective characters, structural characteristics (acidity, tannins, body, alcohol and the balance of each to the other), finish and overall quality. Wines are tasted in flights, which can be coordinated by grape variety/style or region/country, with as few as twenty to as many as one hundred or more samples each. Wines are scored based on production quality and typicity- the style and taste profile that expresses the authenticity of the grape variety(ies), the region/country in which the grapes were grown and the wine type.
Each critic, publication, competition or other awarding organization uses a different methodology for evaluation, the details of each often accessible via their respective websites. Many use a variation of blind tasting methodology, whether the single-blind (1)- or double-blind (2), to dispel any preconceptions that the evaluator may have about a particular aspect of the wine (e.g. grape, region, producer, etc.) and to preclude the possibility of being swayed by the financial agendas of the evaluator(s) and/or the awarding entity. Some entities do NOT evaluate wines using a blind methodology (cue in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate!), with the belief that, “as professional critics… knowing what the wine is can often help an unbiased, professional taster (evaluator) understand the quality and potential of a wine a little better.”
Within the panel format, evaluators taste wines individually, and then compare and deliberate their notes to establish consensus on the wine. A Head Evaluator(s) will then taste/re-taste and evaluate the wine at a later time for the final rating- number, descriptor and/or symbol- along with a tasting note to offer further insight into the wine’s characteristics. In the case of panels, this final rating considers the notes generated during the panel’s deliberations.
To facilitate these tastings, each producer submits at least two or three (sometimes as many as six to twelve) bottles of each wine they wish to have evaluated, with some organizations requiring either a submission or processing fee (or both). Each organization establishes a set of eligibility conditions and requirements for registration, shipping and customs logistics, upon success, marketing.
Quality Assessment or Marketing Tactic?
For producers, the nods of approval from critics, publication, competition or other awarding organization provide validation of their skills and efforts, acknowledging their craftsmanship and dedication to producing quality wines. The impact of this positive recognition, especially from the more prestigious sources, can change the prospects of any winery. The previously (relatively) unknown winery will realize brand awareness which leads to new (or an expansion in) distribution channels in new and/or existing markets. For established wineries, receiving accolades can lead to a surge in demand and an expansion in distribution channels within new or existing markets. As the reputation of an individual wine, producer, or even a region, grows, reviews and awards from leading wine critics and publications can encourage producers to increase their prices for subsequent vintages.
Many professionals in import, wholesale and/or distribution place significant value on the expertise and credibility of acclaimed wine ratings and awards. The most trusted critic, publication, competition or organization depends on rigor of the methodology and evaluation criteria, along with the level of tasting experience of the reviewers/judges. Since they do not have the opportunity to taste every wine available, they often rely on the opinions of the experts and their ratings to help streamline the portfolio selection process and ensure investment in those wines that are likely to appeal to their clientele.
As sales professionals approach the HoReCa and Retail sectors, wine ratings and awards provide valuable recognition and, when listed in a winery’s promotional materials and/or on stickers, prove beneficial for sales pitches and proposals. For the respective Buyers, wine ratings and awards reduce the anxiety of navigating the vast numbers of wineries in an overwhelmingly crowded marketplace, boosting a winery or specific wine’s reputation and (oftentimes) serving as an important guide in purchasing decisions. For the consumer, especially those that are less-knowledgeable, menu listings or stickers showcasing ratings and awards can influence their purchase decisions.
To this end, many producers consider the cost of entering the competition and sending the required number of bottles for evaluation a worthwhile expense for enhanced marketability of the specific wine or the winery in general. However, it is essential to recognize that wine ratings and awards can vary in credibility and relevance; not all awards carry the same weight and, as noted above, some may use evaluation systems with biases and limitations. Producers therefore target particular critics, publications, competition or other awarding organizations, as some are more prestigious and rigorous than others.
Conclusion
Overall, while personal taste and experience ultimately plays a significant role in wine preference, wine ratings and awards remain an important tool for professionals to navigate the vast and diverse world of wine and to make informed decisions that align with their business objectives and customer preferences. At the consumer level, wine ratings and awards can be quite significant, but their importance can vary depending on individual preferences- from novice to connoisseur- and the purpose behind seeking out such information: quality assurance, exploration and discovery, education, or validation and prestige!
Some Other Considerations….
If a wine isn’t rated, does that mean it is not worthy to drink? There is more unrated wine than rated! Many great and outstanding producers do not submit their wines for evaluation, due to the cost of submission, transport and other logistical fees and of free product, credibility of the panelists, lack of need and/or overall risk.
Rating and Awarding Entities will have different opinions/palates from each other and from the End-User. Wine reviews and awards should be derived from a completely objective experience, but there will be some subjectivity among evaluators in and across evaluating entities. There may also be differences in the evaluator’s assessment(s) and the professional’s or consumer’s own perception of the wine, especially when considering the diversity of tastes, styles and expressions in the world of wine!
Recommendation: End-users should familiarize themselves with the individual ratings and awards systems, their methodologies and their evaluators, and identify the one(s) that best align with their own experiences, tastes, and opinions.
Navigating the difficulties in comparing wine ratings and awards. Since ratings and awards are evaluated using different criteria, and are given with various point systems, adjectives and/or cut-offs for good, great and excellent wines, it can be difficult for the user to compare multiple ratings across the board. Wines with consistent high ratings across multiple platforms tend to have more validity.
Notable Wine Ratings and Awards’ Entities
Critics
Robert Parker
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
Hugh Johnson
Tim Atkin MW
Antonio Galloni
Publications
Wine Advocate (by Robert Parker)
Wine Spectator
Wine Enthusiast
Decanter
Wine & Spirits
The Tasting Panel
Awarding Competitions/Other Organizations
Berlin Wine Trophy
Concours Mondial Bruxelles
Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri
Guía Penin
International Wine Challenge
International Wine & Spirits Competition
Here are comprehensive lists of wine (& spirits) critics and publications and competitions and other organizations.
GLOSSARY
Single-blind tasting. Generally a tasting in which the evaluator carries out the evaluation after being informed of one or a few general properties about the flight of wines. For example, the grape variety, vintage, and/or wine-producing region.
Double-blind tasting. Generally a tasting in which the evaluator is given no explicit information about the wine at all, and evaluates the wine only on the basis of properties which can be discerned through observation in the glass.