VALHALLA, N.Y. (June 12, 2024) — Wine Enthusiast Companies, a media and commerce company that stands as the leading source of innovation and information around wine, is launching the Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform in September 2024. The new platform will modernize the backend system that processes wines and spirits for review by the long-standing and reputable tasting and review program at Wine Enthusiast, a Certified B Corporation. Hundreds of thousands of wines and spirits have been blind tasted and rated by the Wine Enthusiast tasting panel and will continue to follow the tried-and-true blind taste protocols.
The Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform will enhance the submission process with upgraded benefits for producers and importers including real-time status updates on submitted SKUs, the elimination of manual PDF forms, scannable barcodes for faster processing and tracking, and a more communicative environment of direct messaging through the Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform.
Plus, all regions will be welcomed back to the Wine Enthusiast tasting and review program with the launch of the Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform. The current system has become overstretched and unsustainable to support every region around the globe. In 2022, it was necessary for Wine Enthusiast to pause reviews for some regions to find a solution to the overstretched system. The Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform guarantees every submitted SKU that meets the criteria for review will be blind tasted and rated. Wines and spirits that are imported into the United States qualify for the Wine Enthusiast tasting and review program. There will be a nominal processing fee to support this digital system that will service every producer across the globe.
The Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform is scheduled to launch in September 2024. Wine Enthusiast will make an official announcement when the platform is ready to service producers and importers across all regions. Until then, SKUs from the currently tasted regions may continue to be submitted under the current tasting and review system.
“Wine Enthusiast’s business is growing, and the upcoming launch of the Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform will set the team up for success,” said Jacqueline Strum, President of Wine Enthusiast Media. “The business decision to pause the tasting of certain regions was a difficult one. The volume of tastings we had historically accepted became untenable with the current infrastructure. From the tasting department to the development team, everyone has been working incredibly hard over the last two years to build the technology and implement a system that can support tasting every region throughout the United States and across the globe.”
“The tasting panel is excited to add more regions to our tasting and review program,” added Anna-Christina Cabrales, Tasting Director for Wine Enthusiast. “Structural changes in the tasting department began in 2022 and have proven to meet consumer demand. We have a talented team from those who have been tasting for Wine Enthusiast for more than a decade to new tasters who joined at the beginning of this year. Everyone has impressive wine knowledge and brings fresh perspectives to our reputable reviews.”
New region assignments will be announced when the platform is ready to service producers and importers across all regions. For more information about Wine Enthusiast Companies, the Wine Enthusiast Ratings Platform, or for interview requests with the Wine Enthusiast executive team, contact Bonnary Lek.
Published: June 12, 2024
