On Aug 31, 11:06 am, UC > wrote:
>
> WS is a joke. What value it has is mostly to wine shops who can use it
> to sell lesser-known wines that may have some merit. The ads, though,
> of course, are all from the big distributors. What good information WS
> may contain is available in many books. Ratings are utterly worthless.
> I have no reason to trust them whatsoever. Insofar as WS presents
> itself as a source of ratings, therein I despise it. I despise the
> very concept of ratings.

Wine Spectator mails sheets of shelf-talkers in advance of the next
issue so retailers can stock up on high score wines and be ready as
soon as the issue hits the stands. Their meaningless restaurant
winelist "awards" were exposed by Amanda Hesser in the New York Times
last year. Out of 3800 entries who paid $200, 3600 got some sort of
"award".