Wine Critics & Scoring – How Should They Fit Into Your Strategy?

The idea of giving a review of something, especially wine, as a way of guiding choice or purchase is timeless. However, what voices carry weight and for which audiences has changed significantly over time.

Our modern-day conception of wine critiquing and scoring in the United States can be traced back to approximately the 1970s. Robert Parker, in his direct-mailer newsletter, which became known as The Wine Advocate, introduced the 100-point system, much like the American grading system. With this new marketing tool, he made it easier for consumers and retailers to make purchasing decisions without being able to try the wine before purchase. Since then, many wine publications have followed this scoring system.

The system's impact on the wine industry goes well beyond what Parker perhaps initially intended. For many wine brands, garnering good scores became a crucial marketing tool for many years. Today, these still hold importance, but perhaps more so with trade partners than consumers. Where consumers look for recommendations on what to buy has shifted, with peer or influencer recommendations often shaping their decisions more than traditional media or critics.

However, wine scores and reviews now have additional significance as being off-site citations, alongside offering trusted third-party credibility. So let’s take a look at how wine scores and reviews should fit into your marketing strategy.

Consider Wine Scoring in Your Marketing Strategy

So, what does your brand need to know or think about when deciding to submit a wine for scoring? First, you need to determine the intended goal and audience you aim to reach. Next would be how you can leverage the score when generated. And finally, there is the process and logistics of submitting your wines. You’ll want to include your Sales, PR, and Marketing teams in these discussions so that all stakeholders have some awareness and say in the process.

Who Do You Want To Reach?

From end consumers to buyers at the distribution and retail levels, each audience considers different sources of information or third-party credibility to make decisions.

If you are looking to bolster your distribution and sales to retailers, solid wine scores can be an important tool. High scores will help your sales teams garner attention for the wine. However, only a small percentage of wines submitted are likely to garner a 90+ point score. With this in mind, look at the scores that your brand’s competition has received to judge how your wine might fare with any given reviewer.

While high scores will also capture the attention of the end consumer, consider whether your consumer is likely to pay attention to a point score from a wine-focused publication. Or would they be more likely to be excited by a product recommendation from another publication or influencer? If so, a different strategy led by your Social Media or PR team might be a better bet here.

How To Leverage Your Scores

Scores can be used in a variety of ways to help promote your wine. At retail, the most popular way would be to create items like a “necker” or “shelf talker,” promotional materials that feature information that entices shoppers to make a purchase. Before they get to a retailer, you’ll want to include them in any materials you are presenting to a wholesaler to gain distribution and sales into retail shops.

Updating all digital platforms with the score is another tactic. Examples include adding a badge on an e-commerce website, a post on social media, or text surrounding the product online. Just keep in mind that each publication has rules around the use of their reviews and logos. These digital reference points will help return your brand in a variety of searches, which can ultimately lead to sales.

In terms of PR, if the score is coming from a recognized wine and spirits publication, it will live on in their database of reviews. This increases the chance that the wine may then be used in editorial content, as writers and editors look to what their publication has reviewed to compile stories like 10 Best California Cabernet Sauvignons Under $50.

Your PR strategy might focus on other types of publications providing recommendations, depending on your audience. Some consumers may be more compelled by a recommendation from their favorite lifestyle magazine, precisely because it feels more approachable than a wine-focused publication. Regardless of the source, it is crucial for sales success to be able to include a link to purchase in the text of the article or review. A shop link through your website, an affiliate link, a retail locator page, or a link to third-party fulfillment site will all assist with tracking conversions.

How to Submit a Wine for Review and Scoring

How Wine Is Reviewed

Many wine scorings function as blind tastings, where wines are presented to the reviewer alongside others of the same varietal, region, and/or vintage without revealing the labels or providing details about the producers. This secrecy ensures impartiality from a reviewer who may be biased towards specific locations, prices, reputations, or other considerations. The critic will provide a written opinion along with a score based on their internal procedures and standard of rating, most commonly using the 100-point system or 20-point system.

The 100 Point System

This is the most commonly used scale, which is much like the American grading system. Think of scores from 95-100 as being akin to an A or A+, extraordinary. 90-94 is considered “outstanding to superior,” 85-89 is “good to very good”. These judgements also consider a wine’s price point, so a score of 89 for a lower-priced wine may be seen as quite good, though it may be disappointing to receive for a higher-priced wine. Most scores 85 or below are generally not published.

The 20 Point System

The 20-point scale, based on the French higher education standard, follows a more precise model. Instead of using ranges, it gives each score a meaning. The Jancis Robinson scale is as follows:

20 – Truly exceptional
19 – A humdinger
18 – A cut above superior
17 – Superior
16 – Distinguished
15 – Average, a perfectly nice drink with no faults but not much excitement
14 – Deadly dull
13 – Borderline faulty or unbalanced
12 – Faulty or unbalanced

How Wine Is Submitted

Each publication or competition has its own process for wine submissions, depending on how it conducts its tastings. Navigating these procedures and timing takes a lot of attention to detail. There will be submission forms to complete, tasting calendars to reference for the timing of submissions, and, of course, shipping to the reviewer or main office of the publication to arrange. It is helpful to have a point person who can corral all of this information and keep tabs on everything. Developing a master list of what has been submitted and reviewed can help you ensure you are best positioned to get a review for a current vintage of an SKU in as timely a manner as possible. Keep in mind that it often takes several months for a review or score to be published.

Communicating With Critics

Another part of your PR strategy to consider is developing relationships with key critics. Initiating a conversation with a well-known critic can be difficult. While you may find their email easily, the chances of getting a response are slim. It’s always beneficial to reach out to specialty reviewers, especially those who are also editors who focus on the region or varietal that most relates to your wines. Make an introduction or send an update on newsworthy stories to keep them interested in your brand, should they be working on a story with a regional focus. While they may not be able to taste your wine, they can cover it in other ways. Also, note that most reviewers taste blind, so this strategy will not affect the end score for your wine. That said, it may help garner an inclusion in an editorial if you can position yourself as a news or story source.

Want to learn more about how to leverage scores for your marketing? Let’s connect!

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