Imagine the following two scenarios:

1: The setting is a lavish banquet, the wine is served in crystal goblets, and the food is exquisite.

2: The setting is a high school football game in the snow, the wine is served in a plastic cup, and the food is cold hot dogs.

Now assume that the exact same wine is served. Which setting is more ideal for enjoying and analyzing the wine?

So, when a wine expert fails to say when, where, and how a wine was evaluated, doesn’t that factor into what the eventual score will be?

Far too many factors affect the awarding of a score. It is for that reason that I have never used scores when rating wine, and simply state what I perceive to be excellent -- and price often factors into my ratings.

When you see the results of multiple wine competitions and note that one wine received three gold medals, two silvers, and a bronze from various panels tasting wines without sight of the label, isn’t that stronger verification of quality than any single number awarded hastily can ever be?

Wine of the Week: 2007 Ravenswood Zinfandel, California “Vintner’s Blend” ($10) -- Lovely wild berry spice aroma with hints of blackberry jam and a trace of mint. Only 13.5 percent alcohol and excellent balance in this often discounted red wine.