How are wines scored?

Answer 1

Good question. Wines are scored or "graded" (the term wine experts use) by:

Taste, Aroma, and Appearance. There are smaller items that are looked at for these 3 categories.

They are graded by a 100 point scale with 100 obviously being the best grade.

They are graded in special tastings and at wine auctions and contests by wine experts from around the world.

Usually anything above a 90 grade is considered really good, but if you like it then that's a good wine. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Scoring wine makes about as much sense as scoring sunsets, but it is a useful easy to understand shorthand to identify which wine is better than another (how ever you define better)

There are three main scoring systems, the 5 point scale, the 20 point and the 100 point.

Until recently the 20 point scale popularised by the Universtity of Davis at California was the main system, and is still used in major wine competitions, including two that I have scored at (IWC - the International Wine Challenge and Veritas - South Africa National Wine Show). In this you award points for different components of the wine:-
Color (one point)
Clarity (one point)
Aroma/Bouquet (five points)
Taste/Balance (five points)
Sugar (one point)
Acidity (two points)
Body (two points)
Tannin (one point)
General Quality (two points)

See http://www.sdaws.org/Articles/Article8.htm for a detailed breakdown

Critic Robert Parker has popularised a 100 point scoring -- though of course it is not a 100 point scale since it starts at 50 and in fact only scores between 80-100 mean anything.

Parkers system, that has been adopted by many magazines and other critics -- and now by the IWC-- is
Extraordinary (95-100 points)
Outstanding (90-94)
Very Good to Excellent (85-89)
Good (80-84)
Average (75-79)
Below average (70-74)
Avoid (50-70)

and is explained in detail here http://www.erobertparker.com/info/legend.asp

The weekly wine tasting club I belong to uses a 7 point scale
1 = Faulty, 2 = Poor, 3 = Below Average, 4 = Average and above, 5 = Good, 6 = Very Good, 7 = Fantastic

I think in everyday life, i.e for ones own use, you need only the 3 point scale I that call the NOW score

N= No way
O= OK
W=Wow!!

The other thing to be aware of is that a score means nothing if you do not agree with the scorer. Parker is recognised as an excellent taster, but if you dislike the types of wines that he rates highly then his high scores are to be avoided. If you read on a website that Joe Soap rates a wine at 99 points youhav eto thing -- who is Joe Soap and do I care what he thinks?

Another thing to be aware of is that some wine stores seem to forget to update their shelf talkers and one that screams 'Parker 98 points' may be infact referring to an earlier vintage than the wine on the shelves, and some merchants show scores but do not identify who gave them.

Answer 3

I like the good ol' "happy face/sad face" system.
It's very sophisticated.

Really, wines should never be scored but should only be described in words, as the British wine-writers do. "It's a sporty little wine, wears it's hat tipped to the side..."
American Wine critics have bothched up the whole industry with thier 'numbers instead of words' crap.
It's an incredibly Philistine method of "judging" what is really an art form (winemaking and growing, that is...).

Answer 4

Here's one way...most are graded similarly.

Answer 5

What? Do you mean by flavor? Next time explain...

Answer 6

can be semi dry or dry home brewed or you buy in vine shop

Answer 7

theres a whole check list....age,taste,color,smell, etc etc....look it up