September 14, 2012 | by Lisa Mattson

Why hasn’t anyone ever made a video of someone reading a long-form wine review? Maybe, just maybe, wine lovers might find it as amusing as foodies did Yelp review readings. We decided to give it a try.

Wine Spectator‘s video contest is our one time a year to break out from the usual behind-the-scenes winemaking and hospitality videos–and create videos to make wine lovers laugh (hopefully). Funny submissions have made the finals in the past, so we thought this concept might make Spectator editors smile. Our contest submissions are not intended to poke fun at the original authors; they are meant to be an entertaining tribute to the passion and detail noted wine critics put into their prose. Wine Spectator’s What We’re Drinking Now column archives were our creative playground.

We like to think of these videos as an opportunity for wine lovers to enjoy wine reviews “outside the glass” — a brief escape from the 100-point-scale scores and in-depth analysis of wines that has dominated wine journalism for decades. Special thanks to vintners who joined in the fun, including the legendary Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates reading Thomas Matthew’s A White at the Oasis of Le Cirque,” Daryl Groom reading Thomas Matthew’s “Tony D’s Mystery Decanter,” and John Jordan reading “A Century-Old Wine Worth Staying Up Too Late,” written by former editor James Suckling.

Pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine and enjoy. We’d love to hear what you think. Subscribe to our blog or our YouTube channel, so you don’t miss our entire Real Winemakers Read Wine Spectator Reviews series. Real Sommeliers Read Robert Parker Reviews debuts next.