Who's counting?(2)
Parker's scale is different to James Halliday's scale, which is different to Nick Stock's scale or Oliver's scale, etc. Parker originally championed 100 points, a common scoring system used in American schools, because he considered it offered him greater flexibility than the traditional 20-point Davis scale. In comparison, the Davis scale is as standardised as a ruler, virtually immune to re-interpretation. (Developed in 1959 at the University of California, it's related to the International Tasting System now used around the world with three points for colour, seven for nose and 10 for palate.)
The Australian wine show system has traditionally used the scale where a score between 15.5 and 16.9 indicates a bronze medal, 17-18.4 is silver and 18.5-20 is gold. On paper as well as in application the two systems are irrevocably different.
With more shows considering their judging options, I conducted a questionnaire of 21 Australian winemakers, many present or former judges, to measure the appeal of a 100-point system. Many saw the move as inevitable, another tick for the globalisation of wine and Robert Parker.
Bruce Tyrrell, of Tyrrell's Wines, says: ''The thought behind it seems to be to put the shows in line with Robert Parker and James Halliday's scoring methods, and that is what the consumer best understands.''
However, he says: ''I do not think I will change the trophy and gold-medal stickers on Vat 1 [semillon] for something that will look like today's sudoku puzzle in the paper.''
Alister Purbrick of Tahbilk Wines considers ''winemakers generally would embrace a change from 20 points to 100 points''.
Some went further still.
''In the past 10 years the 100-point system has become the most important rating tool,'' David Bowley, of Vinteloper Wines, says. ''In my opinion, it has greater relevance to the consumer than wine-show medals and trophies.''
Others support the status quo. If shows have the interests of wine consumers at heart, says Peter Leske, of La Linea, isn't it better to stay with the broad categories that the Davis scale offers (eg, a silver medal ranges in score from 17 to 18.4 points) than a single numerical score?
''They (consumers) can only over-interpret the difference between, say, 96 and 95, which we all know is somewhat arbitrary anyway,'' Leske says.
However, all agreed that if wine shows were to adopt the 100-point model, they should embrace the same scoring system. ''Consistency with scoring over all wine shows and wine reviewers is the key,'' says Thomas Wines' Andrew Thomas.
The Royal Melbourne Wine Show committee has been discussing a 100-point system for two years and its chairman of judges, David Bicknell, agrees that if adopted it is important that one system operates at Australia's major shows.
''What that would take would be probably all the capital city wine shows getting together and thrashing a lot of these things out,'' he says. ''I don't know how that's going to happen.''
