Just wanted to know how important "points" are to you as consumers. I know that this is dependent on tasting level and experience but would like to get an idea of "do you use points in your everyday purchasing decissions" or disregard them totally? Lets get the discussions rolling!!!!!
Z
After prying some cash out
After prying some cash out of my wallet to restock some daily drinkers, I found myself inside a familiar wine merchant with two initials in SF who shall remain nameless. I needed the restock because everything I own is either a Californian wine from a friend or colleague, or wine I should know better than to pop on a Friday with Pizza. So I wandered around looking for wines from regions I've been ignoring. They chatted behind the counter, and I picked a stack of things in the $12-$20 range thinking that if they were good, I'd go back and get more.
No numbers were used and so far my hit ratio is way bellow where I'd like. Two of six wines have been worth the money paid. I'll go back for those but maybe a little research in those shiny mags that slide through the mail slot might have helped. I had better luck when I was buying wine with help from reviews in the great frozen middle of this country.
So, I have to say, numbers help us spend safely and sometimes safe is what you're in need of. But you gotta know what your after, and a shop that will point you to a good wine is worth a lot.
Must say that I recently
Must say that I recently went to a VERY large bulk warehouse that starts with "C".
Here I bought a case of Craggy Range 2006 Sauvignon blanc ($16) from NZ - absolutely delicious. You must try some... Oh and it's in screwcap.... even better. Also had some Marquis Phillips 2005 McLaren Vale Shiraz ($15) also extra delicious. Yes I know its an Aussie bias but have got tired of paying>$20 for local wines that are sub par!!!
Z
Yeah, I look at
Yeah, I look at points.....how can anyone ignore them? Altho' there are times that if a certain publication/person gives a wine a high score, it has a reverse effect and I refuse to buy because I know his/her palate doesn't coincide with mine! Guess I can go either way when it comes to points.
If you asking do points
If you asking do points really indicate whether you will like a wine or not, then no... there may or may not be a correlation between the two (of course, price is also no indicator....). That said, I do find them helpful if you are not familiar with a particular wine/winery, especially if you are familiar with the person providing the rating. As someone else indicated ... sometimes knowing who scored it is very helpful... isuch a Parker .... you kinda know what he likes...and it is more helpful than simply finding an unfamiliar label with only the vintage to go on.
Points VS taste buds? So
Points VS taste buds?
So how about Tim Hanni's assertion that all you have to know is how many taste buds you have on your tongue? http://tinyurl.com/3chog7
Points, and reviewers are unreliable at best but breaking it down to pure science is never going to give any more guidance than knowing even a few basic likes and dislikes when you are looking for wine. Maybe for someone who doesn't even know what wine is, and wants to investigate, Hanni's research can guide them to bottles they might enjoy but there is so much you can't convey about a wine by pure scientific measurement, I just don't see how it helps those on a quest for a great bottle of wine at a reasonable price... But maybe I'm missing the point.
ab