Understanding Wine Ratings

The 100-point scale most shops use was popularized by critic Robert Parker in the 1980s and adopted by publications like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. In practice the scale starts at 80: 80–84 is solid, 85–89 is very good, 90–94 is outstanding, and 95+ is reserved for benchmark bottles.

Why 90 is the magic number

A 90+ score signals a wine the reviewer considers genuinely excellent, and it's the threshold where price usually jumps. That makes the high-80s a happy hunting ground — an 88-point wine is often 90-point quality on a day the critic was stingy, at several dollars less.

Ratings are one taster's snapshot of one bottle on one afternoon. Two respected critics can disagree by five points on the same wine, so treat the score as a shortlist tool, not a verdict.

How to use them

Combine a score with things a number can't capture: the style you actually enjoy, the food on your table, and the price you're happy paying. A 90-point Cabernet under $25 is a find; a 92-point wine in a style you dislike is still a wine you dislike.

That's the balance we aim for here — bottles where the score, the style and the discount all line up.