Marese Bombino Bianca, Castel del Monte, Italy — €13.95

CAN you trust a wine score or tasting note? One of the more animated discussions at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival was on the subject of wine competitions and point-scoring for wines.

Research by Robert Hodgson has shown that a wine which wins one competition can come in the bottom third in another held a few days later.

One conclusion at Ballymaloe was that any judgement given to a wine can only be a snapshot in time of how the wine tasted for that person at that time. When and where you taste can strongly influence your judgement — this is an art not a science.