Wine critic
Encyclopedia
A wine critic is a person who evaluates wine
and describes it either with a numerical rating, a tasting note, or a combination of both. Their critiques, found in book
s, newspaper
s, magazine
s, newsletters, online, or in sales materials for wine, are often used by consumers
in the process of deciding whether or not to buy a wine.
, or vintage
. Occasionally, retrospective tastings will be published as well, tasting wines years or decades after their initial review was published.
n publication, Wine Spectator
, has editor
s taste wines blind in flights of similar vintage and varietal. Other outlets taste in similar fashion. Different critics will use different descriptive scales, with the major US critics using a 50-100 point scale, and most newspapers using a 5-star scale.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and describes it either with a numerical rating, a tasting note, or a combination of both. Their critiques, found in book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s, newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, newsletters, online, or in sales materials for wine, are often used by consumers
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
in the process of deciding whether or not to buy a wine.
Journalistic criticism
Critics working for wine-related magazines generally review new releases, often in comparison with other wines from the same region, varietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
, or vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
. Occasionally, retrospective tastings will be published as well, tasting wines years or decades after their initial review was published.
Methodology
The tasting methodology of different outlets varies; for example, the AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n publication, Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
, has editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
s taste wines blind in flights of similar vintage and varietal. Other outlets taste in similar fashion. Different critics will use different descriptive scales, with the major US critics using a 50-100 point scale, and most newspapers using a 5-star scale.
Famous Critics
- James LaubeJames LaubeJames Laube is an American wine critic, writing for Wine Spectator since 1980, a full-time staff writer since 1983, with expertise on California wine...
, Editor at Wine Spectator. - Antonio GalloniAntonio GalloniAntonio Galloni is an American wine critic, and a member of The Wine Advocate tasting staff, the publication of Robert Parker.In 2004 Galloni began publication of the Piedmont Report newsletter profiling the wine of Piedmont. In 2006, he joined The Wine Advocate as a reviewer of Italian wine, and...
, Reviewer at Wine Advocate. - Allen MeadowsAllen MeadowsAllen Meadows is an American wine critic and publisher of the Burghound.com quarterly newsletter and website. A financial executive and private wine collector until a profile published in Wine Spectator in 1997 led him to decide to follow his passion for wine...
, Publisher of Burghound. - Robert ParkerRobert ParkerRobert Parker may refer to:*Robert Parker , English Puritan scholar and divine*Sir Robert Parker, 1st Baronet , English politician; Member of Parliament for Hastings, 1679–1685...
, Publisher of the Wine Advocate.
- Jancis RobinsonJancis RobinsonJancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
, British Master of WineMaster of WineMaster of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
. - Stephen TanzerStephen TanzerStephen Tanzer is an American wine critic, editor and publisher of thebimonthly International Wine Cellar since 1985, with particular expertise on the wines of Burgundy, Piemonte, California, Washington State, South Africa and Bordeaux....
, Publisher of International Wine Cellar. - Gary VaynerchukGary VaynerchukGary Vaynerchuk is a video blogger, co-owner and director of operations of a wine retail store, and an author and public speaker on the subjects of social media, brand building and e-commerce. Vaynerchuk immigrated to the U.S...
, Director of Wine Library, InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
critic.