Wine Scores Explained: What 90 Points Really Mean (And When to Ignore Them)

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“93 points from Wine Spectator!” “Robert Parker 95!” The shelf talker screams at you. That number supposedly tells you everything.

But does it?

Wine scores dominate how wine is marketed, priced, and sold. They influence what shops stock and what consumers buy. Yet most people have no idea what these numbers actually mean, who assigns them, or whether they should trust them.

Here’s the insider’s guide to wine ratings: how they work, when they’re useful, and when you should ignore them completely.

Wine Scores on Sommo — AI Wine Scanner, WSET Prep & Wine Journal App

Wine Scores Explained: What 90 Points Really Mean (And When to Ignore Them)