Bacco's Wine + Cheese was conceived with a mission: to create an environment for our customers that is open and inviting, providing them with the highest level of service and a selection of products to match. To facilitate that, Bob developed his "Wine Guy" system, which is being implemented in the store now. Here, Bob explains the origins and philosophy behind the Wine Guy system:

Wine rating systems are dominated by the 100-point scoring systems, even though no one puts out a score below 80. (There are exceptions, as there are to any rule.) So, the point system really is a 20-point scale. If your wine falls below that, you should cease making wine immediately. This system also relies on one person to be able to give a point total to a wine, and like everything that uses a point scale, the higher the points, the better the wine.

The consumer has become so inundated with points, they are only looking at wines that score 90 or better. I also feel to some extent that some reviewers have inflated their scores, knowingly or not, to accommodate consumer demand for high (score) quality wines. To me, this leaves out so many wines. No one would ever give an $8 bottle of wine a 100-point score. They could not rationalize that a wine of that price could be that good. Great wines are produced every year that don't get the acknowledgment that they deserve.

The Wine Guy System breaks wines down into three categories. First is Wine Guy Value. These wines are those that I feel represent a good value, no matter what the price. Wines could be $8 or $80; they represent value for the price of the wine.

Second is Wine Guy Best Buy. These wines are just that - so many lower-priced wines are overlooked and underrated because of their price, but there are great buys to be had in the lower price tier. With so many consumers looking for more bang for their wine buck, shouldn't they have their purchase validated as much as the high-end consumer for whom price is no object?

Third is Wine Guy Favorite. For the many years that I have been tasting and selling wines I always get the same question: What is your favorite wine? I can honestly say there is not one single wine that I like over every other. I taste so many wines in an average week I would change my mind every day, some time twice or more. Wine Guy Favorite is simple - it is a wine I really like.