In all our processes we guarantee complete transparency by…
Complete Impartiality
Wineproof25 tastings are conducted by a team of experienced and professional wine judges who have no direct links to any wine brand, producer or distributor. They are completely impartial.
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Many wine reviews are the assessments of a single judge, acting alone without reference to other opinions. Other reviews rely on the opinions of practising winemakers, often from prominent wine brands, to make up the team. Often scores for wines from judges’ sources have to be omitted when individual ratings are revealed.
Frequently reviews are published in association with advertising from producers and marketers or have been assessed during hospitality events provided by the industry.
All Wines Tasted Blind
In Wineproof25 tastings all wines are tasted completely blind. In each case only the variety and the vintage is known to the tasting team.
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Many wine reviews are based on hospitality or special events run by wine companies or marketers and the identity of the wines are known. Samples sent for review may be openly tasted. Very few reviewers reveal, either in their review or on their websites, the circumstances under which the wine was assessed.
Realistic Tasting Numbers
The total number of wines tasted is limited, usually 60 or so, in order to ensure that palate fatigue does not play any significant part.
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Many reviews, even those from structured wine shows, are the result of tastings in which as many as 150 wines may be tasted during the course of a single day!
Neutral Venue
Wineproof25 tastings are conducted in a neutral venue and involve a sufficient number of wines to provide fair comparisons.
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Many reviews spring from tastings that are part of special events conducted by the producer, or are tasted in too small a sample to enable comparative assessments. The scale and nature of the event at which the wines were tasted is often not revealed.
Immediate Responses
Wineproof25 reviews are written ‘on the spot’. Judges are required to take the time, during the wine tasting, to agree on both the score and review text. It is not written from notes at some later date.
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Some wine reviews are based on notes taken at some previous time, a period during which recollection may have become clouded.
Complete Separation from the Wine Industry
This publication (website) takes no revenue of any kind from the wine industry apart from the tasting entry fee. From our completely impartial wine tastings you can get the best value wines in New Zealand.
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Many reviews are published in the same format or publication as product promotions, advertising or ‘advertorial’ features. In many cases these aspects are important part of the publication’s revenue stream.
Notes
Wine reviews are powerful marketing tools and are highly influential in purchasing decisions. We think they should be honest, forthright and transparent.
While ‘Wineproof25’ sees no actual evidence of complicity or underhand practices in the many different forms of wine evaluation available, we do feel that many of them lack the transparency required to give their judgements real probity.
This is something that should be assured in any review of any product.
It is certainly one that should apply to wine reviews.
Wine reviews should not only be honest and transparent, they should to be SEEN to be so.
So how do our wine reviews differ from those already available?
Other merits of our tasting system
Price Points
We taste and review only those wines readily available on the New Zealand market at under $25 RRP; a price point that accounts for more than 75% of NZ retail sales. We bring you the best value wines out there.
Double Evaluation
Each wine is appraised for both overall quality as well as value for money.
User Friendly Language
Rather than the use of effusive ‘wine language’ comparing tastes and aromas with exotic or improbable characters, we use straightforward descriptions in order to give an informed evaluation.
10 Point Scale
We convert the traditional ‘winescribe’ scores to a 10 point scale that is more easily understood and one which, unlike most other wine scoring systems, uses the full range of scores available.
Exclude Palate Fatigue
The number of wines tasted is limited to a reasonable number, usually 60 or so, in order to ensure that palate fatigue does not play any significant part.
Many reviews, even those from structured wine shows, are the result of tastings in which as many as 150 wines may be tasted during the course of a single day!
Regular Digital Publication
We publish tastings on a regular basis (every 6 weeks) and accept entries from all sources. Wines need to be available for sale in New Zealand at the time of tasting. We ‘publish’ the results digitally to ensure the wines are still available.
Promotional Deal Highlighted
We offer the opportunity for producers to promote special deals on their entries; a service for which Wineproof25 receives no revenue.
