Wine Vino Information Blog

4:07 AM

Saturday June 28, 2008 - Wine Society

A Featured Wine Society Article

How Wines Are Rated


Wines, like hotels, tend to get rated. And they get rated with stars. How do you know what a 5 or 6-star wine stands for? Now unlike hotels, wines do not necessarily have to be rated by an expert. They can be rated by anyone. All it takes is for a person to have enough of an exposure as well as an understanding of how wine is made, what goes into the making of wine and how it should be rated. Wine is rated on four parameters ? the aroma, the taste, the appearance and the aftertaste. Let?s take a look at how wines get their stars!

The ultimate rating is 6 stars. A 6-star wine is said to be absolutely perfect. There?s nothing that is missing from it and nothing that needs to be removed from it. This rating means the wine just cannot be improved in any way. The number of wines that fall into this category globally is less than 1% of the wine produced all over the world. This wine is really a classic and it has all the complex characteristics that a classic wine is expected to have. You won?t find a wine like this online ? no way. These are usually tagged as collectors? items.

Wines that are rated as 5-star wines have a balanced color, richness and harmony. They are almost perfect and have a wonderful aroma, taste and feel. Their organoleptic characteristics are quite extraordinary. Then come the 4-star wines which constitute 5% of the wines produced all over the world. These, too have finesse, flavor and great character and you can?t really find fault with them or perceive any noticeable flaws. These are the wines that are commonly produced today and their rating goes up if they are allowed to age.

Then come the average wines or the wines that are 3-star rated. These are well made but the ingredients they are made from are ordinary. However, they do have great taste and texture and you cannot really find any noticeable flaws. Except for the fact that the raw materials used are ordinary, you cannot really distinguish them from 4-star wines.

Any wine with less than a 3-star rating is below par. You will usually find flaws in them that may even be noticeable and visible to the eye. There could be an unpleasant smell, it could be a watery substance or there could even be floating particles. This could of course be due to the extra acid or tannin present. Sometimes these wines might taste okay but you will find that they do not have any character, depth or complexity. And of course, 1-star wines are made from really poor ingredients. They are generally home-made wines that might not make it to the shop shelves. They are usually not well balanced, very diluted, have a dull taste and are flawed.

How is wine tasting and rating done? It is usually done in groups that are large. The wines are not labeled and the group has to rate them without knowing the cost or the brand. These ratings are then collected and compiled. It is a comprehensive analysis of these that are the basis of rating and determining which class a wine should be classified as. These ratings and classification help as far as the buyers are concerned because it helps them to choose a good wine. You know which the best wine available in the market is and you know what the stars stand for. How many people use these as guidelines when choosing a wine? Well many of these cannot be strictly followed and finally, it?s the buyer who has to take a call on which wine he wants.


About the Author:

Melinda Carnes is a staff writer at Everything Gourmet and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Coffee Enthusiast.





Thoughts about Wine Society

How Wines Are Rated


Wines, like hotels, tend to get rated. And they get rated with stars. How do you know what a 5 or 6-star wine stands for? Now unlike hotels, wines do ...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

Recommended Wine Society Items

Kremser Wachtberg Gruner Veltiner


The Krems and Wachau regions are governed by Central Europe's oldest wine growing association, the Hauerinnung Krems und Stein, which dates back to 1447 and ensures that wines maintain strict levels of quality. This Gruner Veltliner is more proof that this unique Austrian grape variety, which constitutes more than 60% of the grape production in the Krems and Wachau, can not only deliver young and spicy wines, but under the right circumstances can rival many of the great white wines of the world. This wine is full-bodied, capturing all the charm of the Veltliner, but with the power of perfectly ripened grapes. KGV04 KGV04


Price: 29.99 USD



Current Wine Society News

Wallet-friendly wines (Orlando Sentinel)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:31:00 PDT
In the midst of rising prices on everything from gasoline to milk, wine prices have remained stable. I suspect that it's because there are so many affordable wines available in the United States, and competition keeps inflation from driving up prices. America has a cornucopia of reasonably priced domestic wines plus those from Australia, Spain, Chile and, yes, even France.

He Said Beer, She Said Wine - Because Really, Women Shouldn't Drink Beer

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:34:05 PDT
The Delicious Life Cookbook-A-Day Giveaway Summer Weekend Reading Edition, No. 4 I have a few words - words, people - about what appears to be gross gender stereotyping, but for now, let's just give away a copy of He Said Beer, She Said Wine: Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy -- From Burgers to Brie and Beyond. Leave a comment on this post to possibly win it. The content of your comment in no way affects your chances of winning, but the quality does. Okay, quality doesn't matt

Lo-fi and low-key, Friends House Concerts has reached 55 shows ... and counting (Colorado Springs Independent)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:28:49 PDT
When Whitney Luckett and her husband, Marc, moved into their Skyway home in 2000, Marc's sister, Erika Luckett, took one look at their huge main upstairs room and said something like, "Well, you could turn it into a bowling alley or host house concerts."

Italian Trade Commission promotes wine and food (Journal Inquirer)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:51:21 PDT
Weep on, weep on, my pouting vine! Heaven grant no tears, but tears of wine. Weep on; and as sorrows flow, I’ll taste the luxury of woe! — Thomas Moore (1779-1852)

Funny photos inspire Rapid City artist (The Argus Leader)

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:09:52 PDT
Barefoot and falling through a blue sky, a tux-wearing Jim McKoen holds a wine glass with the liquid spilling upward. The former Rapid City Chamber of Commerce president's portrait is among 60 works by Chris Benson, a Rapid City artist showing at the Washington Pavilion's Visual Art Center. Her sometimes quirky visions of West River folks are exhibited now through September.

Camping - with some refined conveniences (San Francisco Chronicle)

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:30:13 PDT
For a lot of people, camping would be a truly unbeatable way to experience the great outdoors, if it wasn't for all that, well, you know ... camping. Moldy tents, gurgling Coleman stoves, unyielding ground beneath your sleeping bag - to many it's too great a...

Que syrah, syrah - New Zealand Herald


Que syrah, syrah
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand - Jun 25, 2008
A major breakthrough was made last year when the Australian Wine Research Institute identified the aroma compound behind the prized black pepper character ...



Muscat Grape
|

Labels:

BlinkBitsBlinkList Add To BlogmarksCiteULike
diigo furl Google  LinkaGoGo
HOLM ma.gnolianetvouzrawsugar
reddit Mojo this page at Rojo Scuttle Smarking
spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Tailrank
TechnoratiAddThis Social Bookmark Button
&type=page">Add to any serviceSocial Bookmark
onlywire Socializersocialize it

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home