Demystifying Wine Ratings and Reviews with Keith Wallace and Alana Zerbe

In this episode of After Wine School, hosts Keith Wallace and Alana Zerbe, leading wine experts, dive into the topic of wine ratings and reviews. They explain the importance of wine ratings, their history, and how they can guide wine selections. They review a Chateauneuf du Pape wine and discuss the significance and correct usage of wine ratings. The hosts advocate for using ratings judiciously and discuss the pitfalls of crowdsourced reviews. The episode caps off with a wine tasting, highlighting the complexities and unique attributes of the wine. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe and share the podcast, particularly with wine snobs for a dose of humble pie.

00:00 Welcome to After Wine School

00:41 Introducing the Hosts and Today's Topic

00:57 Wine Reviews: Chateauneuf du Pape

02:55 Understanding Wine Ratings

08:41 The Evolution of Wine Ratings

11:24 How Wines Get Reviewed

15:17 The Evolution of Wine Critic Practices

15:43 Modern Wine Review Expectations

17:16 The Role of Wine Ratings Today

18:20 Navigating Wine Selections with Reviews

22:12 Crowdsourced Wine Reviews: Pros and Cons

24:06 Understanding Wine Characteristics

25:10 Grenache: A Deep Dive

30:18 Final Thoughts and Farewell