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Wine Ratings Explained

We provide a range of third party ratings and reviews to help you choose the wines that are best for you. After all, you are the most important judge of the wine you drink. We know that the wine selection is vast and choosing a wine can be overwhelming, so to give you a balance of information, World Wine displays wine ratings from these publications:

Decanter
Wine Spectator
Wine Enthusiast
Wines & Spirits
Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
James Halliday's The Australian Wine Companion
James Suckling's JamesSuckling.com
T
he Wine Front
Huon Hooke
Antonio Galloni's Vinous Media
Jancis Robinson
Allen Meadows' Burghound

We also publish our own staff reviews. Where we find a useful rating from a credible reviewer not listed above, we'll add that under our banner, and attribute the reviewer.

It's worth noting that many international reviewers are very tough markers. A wine they rate at 88-89 might well get a 94-95 in Australia. These "lesser" rated wines are often extraordinarily good value. A fine example is Allen Meadows, who publishes under the Burghound report and whose expertise is red and white Burgundies. A mark of 87 or 88 from Meadows is actually a really good rating.

Wine ratings may influence your decision, but the ultimate judgment is yours. Everyone has a different palate and different preferences, so basing purchases on wine ratings may not garner the perfect wine match for your tastes. Always read the tasting note to find out more. And when you do purchase for wine ratings sake, you'll soon learn which publications or tasters possess your style of palate.