Ok. Let’s talk about points systems. And why I hate them.
We’ve all seen them. So-and-so thinks X wine is a 90, but such-and-such only gave it an 85. Scandal! How will that wine ever recover from such embarrassment??
Oh the embarrassment!
I get that points systems can be helpful. If you don’t drink wine often or aren’t sure of your tastes or really just want an impressive wine to take to a dinner party, points systems can help you make sense of the shelves upon shelves of bottles staring at you at the LCBO.
But you know what they don’t tell you? What the wine will taste like. Or whether you will like it. For that, you need to look inward, my friend, and not outward.
Take Robert Parker. He is possibly the most well known user of points systems, and was the first to start using them in the American market. He has made a long and prosperous career attributing slightly random numbers to bottles of wine. I’m sure he has a personal system and that these numbers are meaningful to him, but unless your palate and personal preference is similar to his he will. not. help. you.
Beppi Crosariol is another one. I love this man. He writes about wine in a way that always makes me want to drop what I’m doing and bee line for the nearest LCBO. But he and I have very different tastes when it comes to wine. He might as well be using a lion – cheetah – elephant scale because his numbers mean nothing to me
Look, if you’re a points system fan I’m sorry to burst your bubble. But instead of letting little numbers on labels drive your wine-buying decisions, I guarantee you’ll have better success if you let your own taste and experience guide you.
Difficult work, I know. But worth it!
What’s that? You don’t have much experience? Well, lucky for you the experience-getting process is pretty fun.
Cheers, my friend.
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