Your Wine Won A Gold Medal. Err, I Mean A Silver Medal. Umm, Make That A Bronze.
With so many wines to choose from, it’s nice to know which ones have scored an 89, or which bottle won a gold medal at a state fair competition. Unfortunately, a recent study published by the Journal of Wine Economics has found that those medals may not be an accurate barometer of wine quality after all.
The report, based on multiple blind tastings, found that only 10% of the judges were able to give a consistent score time after time. Most judges were inconsistent throughout, and another 10% gave radically different scores in repeated tastings. So a wine that won a “gold medal winner” in one tasting wouldn’t win an award at all in a subsequent tasting.
Many wine shoppers look to results of state fairs and similar competitions to help them choose the wines they buy. Others prefer scores given by wine publications such as Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits or Wine Enthusiast, or scores from renowned wine critics like Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer.
Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with any of these spots for guidance and suggestions. Robert Hodgson, who compiled the results of the study, and who owns the Fieldbrook Winery in Humboldt County, CA says he doesn’t put any more trust in the 100 point scoring systems of the magazines and critics. Hodgson says in the article: “Consumers need to gain more self-confidence in their own opinions and tastes rather than listen to what other people think wine should be like.”
I couldn’t agree more. At the end of the day, I always take note of scores and medals, but part of the philosophy behind WineExpedition is the spirit of discovery. It’s okay to try something new, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it again, but if you like it, you can buy it again, try other wines from the same vintner, try other wineries in the same region, etc. etc. etc. It’s all about trying different wines, finding out what you like, taking note, and trying some more. It also helps if you find a wine store in your area that you can visit frequently. The staff will get to know you, get to know your tastes, and can recommend new wines to try or pair with a meal that you’re planning.
The other thing about the scoring system, is the wines that tend to get the good marks, tend to be more expensive. On one hand that makes sense, they’re obviously good wines, but not all of us can afford to pay for premium. And I can say from experience there are PLENTY of wines that didn’t get a medal or rating that are FANTASTIC, and many of them are much more affordable. You just have to explore and find them.
At the end of the day, when you find a wine that you love, it doesn’t matter what the magazines, fairs, critics or even I think. It only matters that you love the wine… and then you can give it a score of 95!
Read the full story at LATIMES.com.
