Wine Tasting Guide

Halliday member ratings

By Halliday Wine Companion

Are you a fine-wine connoisseur? Rate, taste and curate your favourites with Halliday Member Ratings.


    Halliday member ratings


    ratings-infographic-final

  • Taste

  • Look, smell, taste & think - use these four steps to create your tasting notes.

    Inspect the wine under neutral lighting and identify primary, secondary and tertiary aromas.

    How does the wine taste? Is it sweet or dry? Astringent or mouth-drying? Pay attention to the how big the wine is on your palate as well as its length and finish – what makes this wine different to others?

    While a rating may be a general indicator of a wine’s quality, a tasting note is an opportunity to record its flavour and unique characteristics as they present themselves in the glass.

    Petaluma member ratings

  • Rate

Outstanding, exceptional or only acceptable – how does this wine measure up? Wines rating 95 points or above are equivalent to a gold Halliday rating. These wines are of a gold medal or trophy-winning standard, worthy of cellaring and coveting.

Wines of 95-90 points are of great quality, style and character. These are on the cusp of being gold-medal wines and still worthy of a place in any cellar. 90 points and below may still be flavoursome and well-produced, usually ready to drink and not requiring cellaring.

Any wine receiving a rating of 85 and below may be of acceptable, commercial quality but depending on the vintage and variety, may display some minor or major winemaking faults.

    Petaluma member ratings

  • Curate

  • After you finish your rating and tasting note, you’ll notice a blue member-rating roundel under the official Halliday Wine Companion rating. This member-rating is comprised of an average score of ratings submitted for that particular wine.

    You can view and like other member’s tasting notes at the bottom of the page; add the wine to your virtual cellar for safe keeping and a later purchase.

    The more you rate, the more influence you have. Gold tier rating members have the most impact on member scores, so rate regularly to have your voice heard.

    Petaluma member ratings

    Keep track of all your favourite wines in your Halliday Virtual Cellar, or browse new wines to see what other members recommend.

    If you’re new to tasting wine, you can hone your skills with our wine tasting guideget to know wine, find out how to write your own tasting notes, or learn from the master himself with James Halliday’s tasting insights

    Become a Halliday member.