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As if often the case, there is a lively discussion over at Vinography right now about wine reviews and whether or not we, as wine writers/critics, should use point scales or grading systems.
Check it out and scroll through the comments to see my current thoughts. This is a topic I've often wrestled with...mostly because no one has been able to convince me that one way or the other is the be-all-end all.
What do you think?
Posted by Lenn Thompson on February 11, 2006 | Permalink
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I could write a book about scores but I have to set up for a wine tasting now. More importantly, who is the cool dude in the Hawaiian shirt? Where did Lenn go?
Posted by: jens at cincinnati wine warehouse | February 11, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Just found this blog....great stuff!
I kind of have a similar problem with my rating restaurants. I won't rate unless I've tried a LOT of dishes at a given place, and then that's even pushing it, I guess, because the people that get paid the big bucks for restaurant reviews get to go to restaurants 4-5 times.
Have a good weekend!
Posted by: mona | February 11, 2006 at 01:57 PM
Good topic Lenn. I don't think the problem is the scoring system itself. We're always going to want to figure out a way to rate things. (Maybe this is "a man thing"...lol)
The problem is that many wine producers have figured out how to play the game and are paying big money to actively work the system by vastly manipulating their wines. What we are left with in many cases are producers from different parts of the world all trying to make wines with similar characteristics. Many might say that world wide wine quality has improved because of this but I think something is lost in the process. In many ways this is the nature of the business right now but I think we lose diversity and a little bit of "soul"in the process.
Posted by: Richard Olsen-Harbich | February 12, 2006 at 12:09 PM
Rich,,
You make the following comment:
"The problem is that many wine producers have figured out how to play the game and are paying big money to actively work the system by vastly manipulating their wines. What we are left with in many cases are producers from different parts of the world all trying to make wines with similar characteristic". Really? Can you document that or is this a continuation of your gratuitous attacks on the industry?
Charles
Posted by: Charles Massoud | February 13, 2006 at 12:37 AM