Through all my years of reviewing and occasionally rating beers and whiskies and other spirits, I have steadfastly refused to involve myself in point-based ratings. Wildly popular with many of my drinks-writing peers – or perhaps endured as an unavoidable reality – I have long viewed them as problematic in the extreme.
I’ve explained why I feel this way several times, but every once in a while an example comes along that illustrates my misgivings so well it deserves reiteration. Late last week was one of those whiles.
It arrived in the form of a promotional email from a wine importer I follow. (Yes, The Beer Guy both buys and drinks and thoroughly enjoys wine, too. Get over it.) The email was hyping the arrival of several wines from the same producer, including the two following:
****** **** Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Mendoza, Argentina
PRICE: $45.95/btl
PRESS:
92 Points, Wine Advocate
****** Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Mendoza, Argentina
PRICE: $19.95/btl
PRESS:
92 Points, Wine Advocate
I’ve omitted the names because they’re beside the point, which is that these two wines, made from the same varietal and from the same region and the same producer, merit the exact same score. Yet Wine 1 is more than twice the price of Wine 2, which, absent of actual tasting notes – as many of these scores are presented on shelf-talkers – is enough to make one wonder why in heaven’s name anyone would pay $46 when they can get equal quality for $20.
(The same offering, by the way, also included a Cabernet-Malbec blend from the same producer for $109.95 with a Wine Advocate score of 98. That’s a six point difference over the $20 wine, or $15 per point.)
Now, granted any rating system is going to run into the same problems, but it is my view that: a) Words are always better than points; b) If you offer people a scoring shorthand, they will almost always use it; and c) If score you must, four or five stars provide a similar indication of quality with a broader margin for inclusion. For instance, Hugh Johnson’s rating system from his Pocket Wine Book:
* plain, everyday quality
** above average
*** well known, highly reputed
**** grand, prestigious, expensive
Not necessarily the scale I would use personally, but certainly something more descriptive than an arbitrary 92 or 89, I think.
Blogging at World of Beer 
Points and percentage scores can be somewhat helpful when trying to evaluate products in a field where you have no expertise but, otherwise… nope.
Never points, never scores, stars or any of that if it can be avoided. It gives the impression that everything is measured with the same bar, and in cases like the above, it doesn’t seem to consider a most important factor, value.
Points and reviews are, in effect, advice. Yes, do try this or no, don’t try it. I’ve had enough experiences in my life where I’ve been given advice that simply didn’t work out.
For a good example of this, check the IMDB. The users there have given the most points (ie, the best film ever) to “Shawshank Redemption”
I rest my case.