Wine Spectator editors review 10,000 to 12,000 wines each year in blind tastings. Every issue of Wine Spectator magazine contains 400 to 1,000 wine reviews with detailed tasting notes and drink recommendations. We set stringent standards for ourselves and rely on the proven ability and experience of our editors as tasters and critics. (Read our Statement of Ethics .) Below are the guidelines we follow in order to maintain the integrity of our tastings.
Why We Taste Blind: A Letter from Marvin R. Shanken and Thomas Matthews
While the vast majority of our wine reviews originate from blind tastings—in private, under controlled conditions—and result in official scores, as described above and on our Tasting Format page, we occasionally review wines in other formats.