Wine Ratings
Take your wine tasting to the next level by understanding wine ratings! This guide walks you through the different ratings systems and what each score means.
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Wine critics share their opinions on the quality of a wine using a wine score. The 100-point scale is the most commonly used rating method, but you may see some critics use a 20-point or even a 5-point scale. When rating wines, reviewers partake in a blind taste test and use a scorecard with a list of traits and criteria, including appearance, aroma, flavors and finish, to score each wine. Most scores you’ll see online or in store are from a single wine publication or critic. Others will include an average of the scores from top critics in the industry.
A majority of wine critics and wine publications, those often considered the gold standard for their opinions - Decanter, James Suckling, The Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Wine Spectator Magazine, Wine & Spirits Magazine - use the 100-point scale. Wines are scored between 50-100 points on this rating system. The average rating on a 100-point scale is around 87-89 points.
Score | Explanation |
---|---|
95–100 | Classic: A truly great wine that's destined to become a classic. |
90–94 | Outstanding: A wine of superior character and style. |
85-89 | Very good: A wine with special notable qualities. |
80-84 | Good: A solid, well-made wine. |
75-79 | Mediocre: A drinkable wine that may have minor flaws. |
50-74 | Not recommended. |
The 20-point scale is a more technical-based system, mainly used for academic wine evaluation.
Score | Explanation |
---|---|
20 | Truly exceptional |
19 | A humdinger |
18 | A cut above superior |
17 | Superior |
16 | Distinguished |
15 | Average |
14 | Deadly dull |
13 | Borderline faulty or unbalanced |
12 | Faulty or unbalanced |
Five-point scales typically use stars to denote the rating.
Score | Explanation |
---|---|
5 Stars | Superlative |
4 Stars | Excellent |
3 Stars | Good Everyday Drinking |
2 Stars | Casual Quaffing |
1 Star | Very Ordinary |
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