Explaining the Ratings:  In January 2009 the new OntarioWineReview rating system came into effect.  I base my ratings on the usual:  colour, nose, taste, finish, overall experience ... but I add in an extra column on my tasting sheets for "value", because that seems to be whet we're all looking for in our wines.  These scores are then tallied to express a star rating, as outlined below. 

Aligning the Stars:
5 stars = Outstanding … 4.5 = Excellent … 4 = very good … 3.5 = good
… 3 = average.  2 and 1 star wines never appear, there is just too much good wine out there – no need to focus in on the bad.

Understanding the System:  The website will show two kinds of ratings.
1 -  the Reader’s Rating (big yellow stars) which appear above the number of “hits” (times it has been viewed) a wine has received.

2 - Grape Guy’s rating, which will appear at the bottom of my review beside the price.