Choosing Wines Using Wine Ratings

You've probably read plenty of wine reviews that include ratings, but between Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate, all those numbers can become a bit confusing. Dare you serve a wine with an 85 rating to your boss or on a first date? Will wines with 70 points be drinkable if the rating comes from a different source? Ratings, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt - if you enjoy it, you should drink it no matter what the ratings given. But if you are searching for a special wine and want the guidance of some experts, using ratings can be helpful. Below you will find a simple guide to popular ratings.

The perfect wines
Also called "classic", "extraordinary", or other highly praising adjectives, these wines are the best of the best. A rating of 100 is the best of course, but a 98 from Wine Enthusiast, a 96 from Wine Advocate and a 95 from Wine Spectator will all fall into the same category. This is the bottle you serve the night you propose, or to celebrate your parents 50^th wedding anniversary. A wine with these ratings will be perfectly balanced and have no flaws.

The excellent choice
If you are looking for a wine that is "superb", "outstanding" and "robust", try one that falls within a rating of 90 and higher from the Spectator and Advocate, and higher than 94 from the Enthusiast. Wines with these ratings will be perfect in body and aroma, with no (or very minute - the type only noticed by "experts") flaws, and very complex. These are wines for that perfect celebration, although if you just enjoy drinking excellent wines, by all means open up a bottle.

Very good choices
Look for ratings of above 90 from the Enthusiast or 85 from the Spectator. (The Advocate doesn't really have a rating for this category, dropping from excellent to "barely" good with its ratings.) These ratings will indicate very few flaws, and signify a bottle that is highly recommended. The flaws these wines may have won't be noticed by most people. Serve these wines at elegant dinner parties and other gatherings.

Good choices
Wines with a few flaws will be given ratings of above 87 from the Enthusiast and above 80 from the Spectator. These will also receive above 80 from the Advocate. These are good wines that are still very enjoyable and considered high quality.

Everyday choices
Ratings for the perfect everyday wines will be above 70 from the Spectator and the Advocate and above 83 from the Enthusiast. This is the perfect bottle to enjoy with a casual dinner, or for sipping after a long day. These wines are well made and enjoyable, but nothing spectacular that you should worry about saving for a special day.

Bad ratings
These are the ratings that should let you know to skip a bottle. Of course, as mentioned earlier, if you enjoy it, then ratings don't matter. But if you are looking for guidance, a rating below 59 from the Spectator and Advocate, and below 80 from the Enthusiast is probably not worth your money.

Source list:
Personal experience
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Spectator
Wine Advocate
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