Wine Proficiency Scale

The Wine Glass rating scale will give you a feel for what level of wine knowledge is needed to thoroughly understand and enjoy the book. This scale has nothing to do with how good the wine book is (see Grape Bunch Scale) as we have examples of excellent books at all levels of the bottle scale. It will just help you determine if you are reading an easy to read wine book or an Encyclopedia or knowledge.

1 glass – You can tell the difference between red and white wine when looking at them through a clear glass.

2 glasses – You know that Bordeaux isn’t pronounced boredoaks and are reasonably sure this is a famous red wine region in France with prices you can’t afford.

3 glasses – You know that smelling cat’s pee in your Sauvignon Blanc and wet fur in your aged Pinot Noir is actually a good thing.

4 glasses – In theory you know the differences among a Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, but have given up understanding the words themselves.

5 glasses – You can beat Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker in a blind tasting of 50 year old Sauternes.