This blog is almost three years old, and over those thousand or so days I’ve often waffled and wavered on using scoring/grading/rating systems when reviewing wine.
I’ve never considered using the 100-point scale because, frankly, I’m not sure that I can discern a 90-point wine from a 91-point one. And, I don’t think very many of you, my readers, can either.
For quite a while, I used the A through F, but I found it very limiting — to the point that I found myself grading wines as a C+/B- which I guess is either a C++ or a B–. That’s not particularly elegant or simple.
So, as I think about the various systems again in this new year, I’d like to hear from the people that I’m hoping to serve better here at LENNDEVOURS. Do you think rating systems are useful? And if so, what one would you like to see me start using here. Right now I’m pondering a 1-10 system or a 5 stars/barrels/whatever (with only halfs in between).
One thing I can promise you — you’ll never see wine scores/points here in place of real reviews with real information. A number/grade/score by itself, without context, is useless and it frustrates me to see people follow ratings blindly.