Wine Scores: What About Those Below 80 Points?

I was recently asked by a reader to address wine scores. The reader asked “…where do you buy a wine that is rated 50-74? I have never seen a wine rated at that level. Do they exist?” Great question!

There are several major wine scoring systems in use including those from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Robert Parker. These systems rely on individual wine tasters who are involved in tasting thousands of wines each year. Not every wine produced - just the ones from wine producers that are seeking a high score from one of these ratings organizations.

While the rating systems vary, the one at Wine Spectator uses the following criteria to score a wine:

• 95-100 Classic: a great wine

• 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style

• 85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities

• 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine

• 75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws

• 50-74 Not recommended

So, you clearly see that wines rated 80 points and above are at least “a solid, well-made wine.” But, below 80 points they are “Mediocre” and at 75 points or below they are “Not recommended.” So, if a winery submits a wine for a rating score and receives a score below 80 points, you are probably never going to hear about it. Those wines still get offered for sale, but the producer simply chooses not to identify their score (why would they!).

So the answer to the question is that there are plenty of wines with scores in the 50 to 75 point range. The bottles are likely on store shelves and probably located down around ground level (the best wines always get put on the top shelves) and priced low.

But realize, these scores are very subjective and being assigned by wine experts that get the opportunity to taste a lot of exceptional wines. The ones they consider “Mediocre” or are “Not recommended” are wines that you and I just might enjoy! So, don’t let wine scores, or the lack of a wine score, keep you from enjoying wines from across the spectrum. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Is Box Wine Any Good?

In recent years, box wine has become quite popular. But, a lot of wine drinkers are still on the sidelines wondering if box wine is any good. So, let’s take a look.

It turns out that that box wine was actually developed and patented in the 1960s. Box wine in the 70s, 80s and 90s tended to be inexpensive (‘cheap’) wine. Then, in the early 2000s ‘premium wines’ in a box began appearing that were very well received and really started knocking down the stigma of boxed wine.

Today there a lot of really good wines available in boxes. And, they’re great values.

Sure, you can’t ‘lay down’ a box wine in the cellar and expect it to age like a bottle of wine, but there are several advantages to boxed wine over bottled wine. An open box of wine will last up to six weeks compared to three to four days for an open bottle of wine. It’s also easy to store, keep in the refrigerator or take it to an outdoor outing. And, it can be a great value. A typical box of wine is three liters (3000 ml) which is the same as four 750 ml bottles of wine. You’ll pay a lot less for most box wines than for four bottles.

So, everyone’s taste in wine is different, and I’m certainly not going to tell you that all box wine is going to please your palate. But, the quality of box wine has definitely improved to the point where you should give it a try. It just might become one of your ‘regular’ wines that you keep around for everyday enjoyment. Cheers!

Ever Wonder What Makes a Wine Age Worthy? (Part 2)

Wines with the best “structure” will generally age most gracefully.

Finding wines that will improve over time requires that you pay attention to a wine’s structure. What is structure? These are the primary components:

• Acidity - Wines lose acidity over time, so it’s important that the acidity be moderately high to aid as a preservative. Acidity can be detected in a wine by it mouth-watering characteristic.

• Tannin - These compounds stabilize a wine’s flavor and help maintain its color. Tannins, when young, will be detected by its astringency or mouths-drying characteristic.

• Alcohol - Acts as a stabilizer in higher amounts (e.g. fortified wines) and in some dry wines with >15% ABV). Alcohol levels are generally printed on the label. High levels of alcohol can be detected by a mild burning sensation in the throat after swallowing.

Finally, it’s the interaction of tiny amounts of oxygen in the bottle along with the acids, tannins and alcohol that produce the chemical interactions that affect how a wine ages.

But, each of these attributes must be in balance with one another. That is, in proportion to each other. And, the best way to know if a wine is balanced is by tasting it and learning to detect this overall balance.

Here are some wines that tend to have good structure that tend to be age-worthy:

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Syrah

• Merlot

• Bordeaux Wines (which are primarily blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah)

• Nebbiolo

• Sangiovese (the grape used in Italian Chianti)

• Tempranillo (the grape used in Spanish Rioja)

• Pinot Noir (the grape used to make red Burgundy)

• Malbec

Even with this knowledge, experienced collectors sometimes have trouble determining which wines will age and for how long. So, you’re not alone in trying to figure this out.

Again, most wines are ready for consumption as soon as they are bottle. It’s only a very small percentage of wines that are actually able to age well. And, you’ll probably need to spend $50 (US) or more to find such age-worth wines.

So, if you find a great red wine, with great structure and it’s well-balanced, try putting a few more away in proper storage, and then pull them out one at a time (every 6 to 12 months) to see how they are changing with age. Hopefully for the better! Cheers!

Ever Wonder? What Makes a Wine Age-Worthy?

It is commonly known that red wines age best. But why, you may ask, is that? Why can red wine be aged longer than whites?  After all, they are both made from the juice of grapes!

The answer has a lot to do with tannins and acidity, but residual sugar and alcohol levels can also play a role.

Tannins are chemical compounds that act as natural preservatives in wine. They come from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. And, red wines spend considerable time in contact with their skins, seeds and stems during the maceration process as opposed to white wines where the juice is immediately removed from the skins, seeds and stems.

The maceration process for red wines involves steeping the grape skins and solids in the grape’s juice (must) during fermentation, when the developing alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannins and aroma from the skins. Red wines typically will have maceration times ranging from 7 to 40 days. Tannins in wine also come from the wood barrels where the wines are aged. 

The natural acid levels and residual sugar that remains in wine after fermentation can act to preserve the wine. And, wines that are higher in alcohol generally are more likely to age well. Especially fortified wines (e.g., Port, Sherry, Brandy).

But, the bottom line on a wine being age-worthy is that it needs to be “well balanced” to begin. That is, having a balance between tannin, acid, alcohol and residual sugar. If any of these are ‘off’ the wine probably doesn’t stand a chance of improving with age.

But that leads to the question “When I’m staring at bottles of wine on the store shelf, how do I know if a wine is well balanced?” We’ll get to that next time. Cheers!

More on Learning About Wine

Last time we looked at how to get started in learning about wine. And, the best way to learn is by trying. Sure, you could pick up a book or a wine magazine, but those will tell you about wines that others like. The first thing you need to do is to start by discovering your palate - your individual likes and dis-likes.

It’s amazing how many times I come across a real wine lover or wine enthusiast that will only drink white wine, or will only drink red wine or who will only drink a single varietal. And that’s just fine. They’ve found what they like.

But I’m the type that can’t wait to try something different. Just for the experience. Just for the learning experience. So, I say, start tasting wines. And taste lots of them.

When you’re just getting started with wines don’t expect to be able to distinguish subtle aromas or nuances in the wines. Just taste them and give them a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. And keep some type of records of your tastings. On down the learning road, you’ll actually be able to use your “class notes” to find other wines you might enjoy. Especially if you have a great wine server or a knowledgeable friend. With your notes you can say “I really like Pinot Grigio” and that can open up a whole new set of wines that you’ve never heard about that you just might enjoy.

Learning about wine is a journey and it takes time. So, be patient. Your learning will never end. Mine hasn’t!