A friend of mine recently wrote that he is distrustful of ratings given to wines sold at Costco because he thought them to be generously inflated. He should be, but it applies to more than just this one store.

Stores commonly use what the industry calls “shelf talkers.” They are promotional tags that provide a high score for the wine. Often these shelf talkers are provided by the producer. The obvious intent is to sell more wine to overwhelmed consumers who are looking for some guidance on what to buy.

First, look closely at the rating. Who rated the wine? If it’s a respectable publication like the Wine Advocate or the Wine Spectator, the rating has credibility. We’ve seen some shelf talkers with unattributed scores — or scores from previous vintage . Buyer beware.

Second, a critic’s palate may not match yours. A good critic will score a wine according to how it represents the region. Does a pinot noir, for instance, typify the Willamette Valley, its soils and the style that you expect from there. But on top of this foundation is the judge’s prejudice for, say, a tannic and complex cabernet sauvignon or an oaky chardonnay.

Third, consumers gravitate exclusively to wines rated no less than 90 points. Anything less struggles for sales even though most of the wines are excellent and may even be more appealing to the palates of occasional wine drinkers.

We like to test a salesperson to see if our palates match up. We’ve been recommended wines we intensely dislike and then be more skeptical on our next visit. When recommended a wine, we ask a series of questions: How do you describe it’s style? Does it show well now or should we wait a couple of years to open it? Is it food friendly? Can you taste the oak? If they can’t answer these questions, they really don’t know the wine.

The bottom line is that you’re the best judge.