If you’re reading one of our wine reviews, especially if you’re doing so from your phone. You’ve probably noticed a quick fact sheet right at the top. We have 10 key points of information that if you’re just coming to quickly see a review you’ll be able to find right at the top. Region, producer, varietal, vintage, price point, ABV, body, acidity, top flavors, and approachability. Since these are the things you’d probably want to know in a hurry. We keep our more detailed notes to the left on tablet +, or above on smartphone size due to how people tend to look at things. With that said, let’s jump into the categories. 

Region, producer, and vintage are the most self-explanatory of these. In the case of a blend, we’ll include the varieties involved in the first section of the extended review, and topics that warrant their own articles. 

Our price point category is broken into four categories. $ is below $40. $$ is between $40-80. $$$ is between $80-250. And $$$$ is $250+. Most of the wines we review will likely be in the $$ and $$$ categories, with $$$$ being a category that warrants its own article.

For the sake of simplicity Acidity and Body are rated on a scale of 1-10. Acidity would best be described as a range from a heavily aged madeira being an example of a very low acid wine and for our purposes an Acid 1, to a fresh NZ Sauvignon Blanc being an example of a very acid level 10. Body would be described as how heavy a given wine feels. A NV champagne would probably be described as airy by most people seeing this page. And aforementioned Madeira would be a phenomenal example of a wine that drinks like lead. 

The top 3-5 flavors are dictated by what Tom and I think of as being the flavors that stand out on both the palate and nose. Basically these are the first few things that come to mind when considering a given wine that are, in turn, complimented by everything else that follows. 

Approachability is the last factor and is arguably the most important to us. The most approachable wines in our experience tend to be more acidic/fruit forward whites with a clean finish. Think the wine equivalent of a Gin & Tonic or Fruity Rum Drink. For these, think of a lot of unoaked chardonnays or Oregonian Pinots. With that said there are definitely wines that should not be approached by beginners either because of the nuances being easily lost, or because frankly, there are great wines that literally taste like cherry bbq sauce with a dash of alcohol. Just for a couple examples think Northern Rhone Syrahs as examples of boldness, and elite Burgundys as an example of “you need to have studied these to appreciate the nuances”. 

For the sake of not consuming too much of your time, it is worth noting that this is simply a quick explanation of how we grade wines, and that there will be more than a few articles written about our process before long. Including ones on the significance of geography, vintage, and most of the other factors involved in our tasting process. There’s a ton to discuss, and this one article is not the place.