What's in a score??

This is a question I get all the time: what did the wine score? It used to drive me nuts. Am I a walking encyclopedia of wine scores? Do you expect me to give you my Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man reply? "Oh yeah, definitely 88 pts, definitely" HA! It's out there, and sometimes the easiest question to ask. Below are my ideas on the "pros" and the "cons" of scoring wine:

Pros: It's like buying a car. When you don't know a lot about cars, and don't feel like getting talked over by a salesperson, you turn to Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, Kelly Blue Book. It's independent research that gives YOU a better idea of what you want.

In the wine world it's Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine & Spirits. I will say that wine publications are like "Wine Buying for Dummies". Check out the back of the magazine (where the scores are). Figure out how much you're willing to spend, and jot down the names of a few wines. This, actually, works out really well with the "value" wines. It allows people to not spend a ton of money, and test their pallet to see what they like. If you're seeking out 90pt+ rated wine, here is a good rule of thumb: you "typically" won't find one for under $10. It's always entertaining to talk to people who are searching for this "Holy Grail" of sorts. It would flaw the rating system if they did that. A great score for an $8 wine is 88 pts, because most "Best Buys" score 85/86 pts.

Cons: The most widely circulated publication is the Wine Spectator (or the Wine Dictator, for those out there). The Spectator is flawed. It operates like any other publication: it needs to sell ad space to generate revenue. So let's say I just submitted my Cunneen Single Vineyard Malbec (I'm super hot on malbec right now, and will get to that in a later blog) to the Spectator for rating. I also happen to have an extra $100K in the bank, allocated for marketing, which I offer up to the magazine (I'm throwing all my eggs in one basket!) Whether my wine is good or not, I'm going to tell you that the magazine is going to figure out how to spin some positive PR for my wine in that publication. If they were to omit, or sandbag my wine, there is no way in hell I'm spending a single nickel with them ever again. It would be in their best interest to provide me with a good score, or nice write up. I'm not saying this happens ALL the time, because they have to have some integrity in order to sell magazines. I'll tell you that their ad space isn't cheap. We're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars for page ads. The Mom and Pop winery doesn't have that kind of budget. When you get down to lesser publications, space is cheaper. This means a few "no namers" make their way into ad space, and their wines are rewarded with good scores. I'm always a fan of word of mouth, or recommendation. It's like anything, if you trust your friend's judgement, you'll probably feel 'safe' buying the wine they suggest.

If I were had just started getting into wine, here's my plan of attack:

1. Pick up the Wine Spectator, and purchase 2 bottles each month in their "Best Buy" section. I use the Spectator, because they review more "mainstream" wine. You'll actually be able to find them.
   
2. Go to your local wine shop, and ask an educated (key word there!) store associate for his/her suggestions on 2 bottles of wine within your budget.If your local shop has an email blaster, those usually will provide good wine at a good value. Make sure you sign up for one!
   
3. Ask a friend, or two, for a recommendation on a wine they had recently.

You can't go wrong with this approach. It gives you multiple opinions/outlets, and allows you to ultimately be the judge. Consumer tastings are always great to attend. Even though they are sometimes pricey, you get to taste a bunch of different wine. It's a solid investment.

Question: Who/What do you trust when it comes to your wine purchases? For me, I trust my peers. I'll occasionally ask my distributor, "what's new? what do you like?" (so it's a bit unfair. I work w/ sommeliers, and certified specialists of wine).