Do wine judges give higher scores to wines made with less-known grape varieties

Abstract

In this study, we investigate judges' decisions for various wines, characterised with various attributes (region of origin, colour, still versus sparkling, and so on), with a focus on grape variety. Our investigation suggests that wine judges tend to score wines made with less-known varieties higher. To support our suggestion, we analysed 27, 470 wines from the 2013 to 2016 International Wine and Spirit Competitions. On average, wines made from the top ten varietal grapes are graded lower than wines made from other, less frequently used, grapes. Wines of the new world and those produced under a certification of origin rule are given greater scores. Wine producers should focus on creating wine from less-known grape varieties to increase their chances of getting a higher score (and medal). Consciously or not, wine judges tend to incentivise wine amateurs and buyers to discover less 'mainstream' wines.

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