Do wine critics have reason to live?

       Question of the week: Are wine ratings overrated?

        Do wine gurus like Robert Parker and magazines like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast (and, I suppose, wine columnists like me) know what they/we are talking about?

        There's a growing debate about this around the world.

        Recently Siduri, a small winery that makes pinot noir in California and Washington, sent an e-mail to its customers complaining about wine critics' wildly varying descriptions of its wines. Of their 2006 Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir, right, it said, the Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine said "a classy and complete package and gave it 93 points, while Wine Spectator said "dried herb, cola and sassafras flavors, thin on the finish and gave it 85 points.

        "As a consumer," Siduri said, "how are you supposed to make sense of such wildly varying thoughts on our wines? Taste the wines and decide for yourself. Honestly (and obviously) there is no greater indicator of quality than your own palate."

       True dat.

       I've tasted wine in competitions around the country, often in five-person panels. And I can't tell you how often five veteran tasters will come with five utterly different options -- from gold medal to no medal at all.

       At an April wine conference in Spain, in an almost-Maoist burst of self-confession, the well-known British wine author Jancis Robinson urged wine critics to be more humble.

       "We must always remember that we are parasites on the business of winemaking. We must realize we only have one palate."

        On the other hand, I take comfort in a phrase I ran across in a another wine critic's blog: "We spit so you can sip."

       In my own column in The Herald, I use only two wine ratings: "Highly recommended" and "recommended." I can only point you to what I like, tell you how it tastes to me. I offer no 30-day guarantees.

       So the question is this: Do you get any value out of wine ratings and descriptions? Do wine critics have reason to live?

Comments

[Stephen Weinberg]

The real issue regarding Critics of any type is that their review is based upon their frame of reference. How many times have movie critics slammed a movie that the public seemed to love; and visa versa---How many people would have gone to see an Indie film like Sideways (and started to drink Pinot Noir) if the critics did not Rave about it. Wine is like SEX; you don't know very much about it when you start but the more you experience it the more you learn and hopefully the more you enjoy. I will avoid the comparisons of Varitals to Positions but I think you know what I'm talking about. And remember if you combine your Quest for wine knowledge (especially Champagne) with your desire for sexual education/experience---you learn twice as much!!!! SW

[Galen Struwe]

As the supplier for Sacre Bleu wine, I have had hundreds of occasions to taste out our wines with sommeliers, wine critics, wine critics posing as sommeliers and wine lovers in general. I have even had the honor of pouring our wine for Fred Tasker, an unabashed wine affectionado.
The wine reviewer, like his fellow music critic, is indispensable to their art form. They educate, entertain, infuriate and often become our canary in the coal mine. They will go where we simply do not have the time or inclination.
So let's toast those among us who put themselves at the front of the ultimate subjective process. For all the grand language and descriptions they so love to display, they honestly know that in the end the customer is always right.
Long live our wine judges!

[Adam Lee/Siduri & Novy Wines]

Fred,

Thanks for the write-up on our little email. I really appreciate it. I am not completely sure that we were complaining about the reviews - fortunately, we have been doing this long enough to realize that we all get reviews we don't deserve - some too negative some too positive. I think we were simply pointing out something that customers themselves were going to notice. Figured it was better to meet that head-on rather than ignore it.

--Adam Lee, Siduri Wines

[Richard Shaffer]

Look, like most everything else in life, the experience people have of wine is SUBJECTIVE. If you like the wine then it's GOOD. The numerical scoring of wines is SO American - wine is not a football game, for goodness sake. I prefer the detailed tasting notes myself.

[Junior]

As far as this wine novice is concerned, anyone who can help pare down the myriad choices at the liquor store and throw in a "true dat" in the process is fine by me.

Spit on, wine critic. Spit on.