As with a recent article in the New York Times, it seems that the media has finally woken up to the problem of the wine score game. While Robert Parker is attributed to having been the first to pioneer the use of the 100-point scale with wine, he is not to blame as the practice is certainly wide-spread.

What I do suggest is that wine afficionados take Parker and other critics in stride, the way we do with other products. When film critics rate a film, audiences read the review and make their own decisions about whether to see it. If they are familiar with a particular critic then they may have a better understanding as to whether their film preferences match or diverge with the critic’s. If Ebert & Roeper always like a certain kind of film and you’ve never been happy with their recommendations, you know to stay away next time and even possibly attend the film they pan.

If your tastes are aligned with Parker’s, then by all means follow his suggestions. But, if you aren’t sure you are in sync, why not read beyond the score? What did he find in the glass? Fresh fruit? Earth?  What are others saying about the same wine? A critic is just that, a critic. Yes, their palates are practiced from many years of tasting, but they are still human. They have their own set of preferences. Sure, keep reading the score cards, but remember that in your home, the only critic that matters is you!