Mr. Zheng Haijin and Wang Qihe from Ruida Corporation in Yangzhou, China enjoy their first visit to Sagebrush Annie's with a wine tasting before an unforgettable steak dinner.

Wine Tasting Vocabulary

Because Sagebrush Annie's is a restaurant, it is required by law to charge a fee for wines sampled.

Wine Scoring:  100 Point Rating System

Have you ever read those ratings from Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, or Wine Enthusiast, and wonder how the ratings are derived? I have, so i finally looked into it. If you continue to read this newsletter, and want to rate your wines, you too, can impress your friends with your enology knowledge. This will be especially meaningful to all of you Bunko ladies at your parties. You now have another activity, namely, the rating of the wines served that day. Not that we want to put added pressure on the hostess...

The 100-point rating system, was made popular by Robert Parker in the early 1980’s, and then adopted by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, amongst others. Hundred points is a misnomer, however, as it’s actually a 50 point system and then 50 points are added to the initial score.
Parker gives points for the following: First Impression/Color (max 5 pts), Aroma- Bouquet (max 15 pts), Flavor (max 10 pts), Finish (max 10 pts), and Aging Potential (max 10 pts). See, the maximum points add up to 50.

Let’s modify his system to make it user-friendly to the non-professional. After all, how many could rate “aroma/bouquet,” which to a wine expert, are different? And most of us probably can’t rate “age potential,” nor do we care how much the wine will improve in the twenty minutes it takes us to get home and pop that cork, after a hard day at work. Also, let’s give more points to taste because that’s something we understand, although the nose and palette work as a closely knit team.

*Let’s do it like this: Color ( max 5 pts) look for clarity and depth, Nose (max 10 pts) balance and complexity, Taste (max 15 pts) does it have fruit, spice, etc, Length/Finish (max 10 pts) is it a long finish, is it pleasant, and Overall Impression (max 10 pts). Total points = 50.

Now, let’s try it out. I just opened a bottle of II Tarocco Chianti from TJ’s for $8.99. Hmm, nice deep red color with nothing marring the clarity; 5 points. The nose is delightful with nice fruit aromas; B points. The taste is a little sharp and edgy but not unexpected, and it fills the mouth. It will open up with a little breathing; 10 points. The length of finish is very good for a Chianti at this price and is fruity; 7 points. My overall impression is very high for this wine; 8 points. So, total points for this wine are:
5+8+10+7+8=38, plus 50* ± 88 points in the 100 point system.

*The 50 added points are arbitrary to make it a “100-point system.”

100 point rating system overview provided by Tom "da Wine Guy" Matthews.

Wine Tasting Scoring Sheet