How Wine Scoring Works

Scoring can be a complex business. As drinkers, we have so many things to consider when we see a score against a wine. Who gave it? What variety is it? Where is it from? How much is it? In this video, I break down the 100pt scale (something I find myself doing frequently in response to the ol’ ‘but you only use the top 20% of numbers, in any other world, 50% is a pass’), explain the internal considerations that wine reviewers must adhere to (most significantly, quality vs style), and finally, explain that not all grape varieties are created equally – some will just never achieve 100pts. When we are buying wine, we must focus on the reviewers whose palates align most closely with our own. You learn this by reading, buying, and tasting. Do you agree with the reviewer’s assessment? Do you see what they mean? Would you give it a similar score? I do this to inform my own cellar selections, and know whose opinions to take into consideration when I am buying, and whose not.
So, what’s the score?