This article delves into the personal journey of a veteran editor through the realms of publishing and wine, offering a compelling critique of modern wine evaluation practices. It champions a philosophy of unadulterated enjoyment and communal appreciation for wine, contrasting it with the prevailing trend of numerical scoring. The narrative highlights the transformative shifts in both magazine journalism and the wine industry, advocating for a return to simpler, more sensory-driven engagement with vintages. The author's reflections underscore a desire to foster a culture where the intrinsic qualities of wine are celebrated, rather than reduced to mere points.

The essay explores the author's extensive background, from launching new publications to observing the dramatic changes in wine consumption and judgment. It’s a call for authenticity in appreciating wine, pushing back against the dominance of scoring systems and advocating for a more holistic, experience-based approach. By sharing anecdotes from a storied career, the piece illustrates how market forces and critical trends have shaped the perception of wine, ultimately urging enthusiasts to prioritize personal enjoyment and shared discovery over competitive ranking.

The Genesis of a Publishing Vision and the Shifting Sands of Wine Culture

In the nascent stages of a new publishing venture, the author recalls the ambition to create a vibrant consumer magazine, focusing on engaging content that would entertain before it enlightened, particularly for those passionate about wine without claiming expert status. This vision extended to other publications, reflecting a broader trend in the 1970s of transforming traditional journals into accessible magazines. This era was marked by economic challenges, notably the Oil Crisis of 1974, which influenced the publishing landscape. The author's experience spanned diverse titles, including prominent fashion and lifestyle magazines, demonstrating a versatile editorial career. Concurrently, the wine world was less sophisticated, with winemaking techniques less advanced than today, leading to wines that often required extensive cellaring. Fine wine was already becoming an elite pursuit, a stark contrast to the more approachable appreciation the author sought to cultivate.

The early days of modern wine journalism, as seen through the author's eyes, were characterized by a less knowledgeable and financially constrained environment. The ambition to launch a wine magazine like Decanter was set against a backdrop where wine production was more rudimentary, and the concept of 'good but needs keeping' was common. This historical context provides a fascinating look at how far winemaking has evolved, particularly in controlling acidity and tannins. The financial constraints of the 1970s meant that exquisite wines were often reserved for the wealthy, exemplified by tastings of rare vintages that transcended mere appreciation, becoming social events. The author’s personal journey in publishing, from high fashion to horticultural journals, equipped them with a unique perspective on transforming niche interests into broadly appealing content, much like the aim to make wine more accessible despite its growing elitism.

A Plea for Pure Appreciation: Beyond Numerical Wine Scores

The author expresses a profound discomfort with the competitive nature of wine tastings that aim to identify a single 'winner,' advocating instead for a philosophy of simple appreciation among wine enthusiasts. The core belief is that the purpose of wine enjoyment should be to share and celebrate the qualities each wine possesses, even overlooking minor imperfections. This principle extends to a strong aversion to the prevalent hundred-point scoring system, a method largely popularized by influential wine critics. The author recounts initial resistance to adopting such a rigid scoring model, viewing it as an imposition on the nuanced art of wine tasting. While acknowledging the widespread adoption of quantitative scoring in the wine industry, the author prefers more qualitative, personal methods, such as alpha ratings, to convey individual reactions to a wine.

This perspective fundamentally challenges the mechanical approach to wine evaluation that numerical scoring represents. For the author, the essence of wine appreciation lies in the personal and communal experience, not in a competitive ranking. The act of tasting, as described, involves a tactile and intuitive arrangement of bottles to reflect personal preference, facilitating genuine discussion rather than a mere tabulation of points. An amusing anecdote of a German magazine measuring remaining bottle contents to declare a 'winner' serves as a lighthearted yet poignant illustration of the absurdity inherent in such competitive evaluations. Ultimately, the author champions a hedonistic approach to wine, where pleasure and enjoyment are paramount, serving as a passionate call to preserve the joy and subjective beauty of wine from the confines of objective metrics.