The Real Review

What The Real Review does

The Real Review is a wine rating and review platform operated by Corkscore Pty Ltd, an Australian private company headquartered in Pyrmont, NSW. The platform publishes blind-tasted wine reviews and maintains an editorial library of 160,000+ reviews covering wines from Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain. Core intellectual property includes the Wine Classification system (which assigns One, Two, and Three Merit designations to exceptional wines), the annual Top Wineries Awards across three countries, the Wine 360 Awards ribbon system, and curated Top Value Wines recommendations. Authority is anchored by named critics Huon Hooke and Stephen Wong MW (Master of Wine), whose personal brands underpin the platform's credibility with both consumers and the wine trade.

The platform operates a multi-sided subscription model with four tiers: Individual memberships (which include Riedel glassware welcome gifts and full access to reviews, rankings, and member discounts), Winery memberships (with profile claiming, wine submission, and promotional tools), Distributor plans, and Retailer plans. Pricing is annual and subscription-based, with no public pricing disclosed. Additional revenue comes from paid wine events such as the Wine Classification Dinner in Melbourne at AUD $269 per ticket, and from promotional services including wine videos, bottle stickers, and certificates sold to wineries.

Distribution is predominantly direct-to-consumer digital via self-serve signup at therealreview.com, supplemented by a content marketing engine (daily articles, regional spotlights, Top Drops weekly recommendations, The Real Review LIVE video series) and a social presence across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and YouTube. The company operates with a team of approximately 9 employees, generates no disclosed external funding, and has no parent company or subsidiaries in the public record.

Name

The Real Review

Legal name

Corkscore Pty Ltd

Website

https://therealreview.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Real Review is a subscription wine rating and review platform serving consumers, wineries, and wine trade across Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain, offering 160,000+ blind-tasted reviews, annual wine classifications, Top Wineries awards, and tiered membership subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Media & Reviews

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

Keywords

• Wine reviews
• Wine ratings
• Wine classification
• Winery rankings
• Wine subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

Pyrmont, NSW

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription providing unlimited access to wine reviews, rankings, articles, exclusive member discounts, and tasting notes. Members receive welcome gifts including Riedel glassware.
2. Winery Membership and Services: Wineries can claim their profiles, submit wines for tasting, and access promotional tools including wine videos, bottle stickers, and Top Wineries certificates
3. Trade and Distributor Plans: Specialized membership tiers for distributors and retailers with trade licensing options
4. Event Revenue: Paid wine classification dinner events hosted in major cities like Melbourne featuring tastings with critics

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Real Review is a subscription-based wine review and rating platform that publishes blind-tasted wine reviews, annual winery rankings, and classification systems for wines from Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain. It sells tiered memberships (Individual, Winery, Distributor, Retailer) that unlock ratings, tasting notes, cellaring guidelines, and trade promotional tools, alongside paid wine submission services and classification dinner events.

Product overview

The Real Review is a wine rating and review platform operating as a unified platform with multiple complementary services. The core offering is the wine review and rating platform (The Real Review Platform) which provides blind-tasted wine reviews and scores. This core platform is enhanced by classification systems (Wine Classification of Australia and Wine Classification of New Zealand) that evaluate wineries with merit ratings, and by awards programs (Top Wineries Awards for Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain) that recognize excellence. Additional services include Top Value Wines recommendations, Wine 360 Awards ratings, wine submission for tasting, promotional tools for wineries, The Real Review LIVE video content, and membership tiers (Individual, Winery, Distributor, Retailer). The platform covers wines from Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain, offering both free access to some content and premium membership-only access to detailed tasting notes, ratings, rankings, and cellaring guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Real Review Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Australia's best ever platinum medal performance at 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards recognized
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Riedel AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRiedel Australia provides welcome gifts for new The Real Review members, specifically Riedel glassware included with membership signup. The partnership involves sharing member contact details for gift fulfilment and marketing purposes.
• Vintec ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVintec Club hosts champagne dinner events featuring The Real Review critic Huon Hooke. Events are covered on the platform with member-only access to reviews.
• Fix Wine Bar + RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for wine-focused events, hosting dinners such as the First Ridge Italian varieties celebration dinner covered in editorial content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wine Folly: Digital wine education and review platform with strong consumer focus. Comparable as a content-driven wine media brand monetizing through subscriptions and educational content, though with less emphasis on traditional blind-tasted ratings.

Broad incumbents

• James Suckling: Internationally recognized wine rating platform offering blind-tasted reviews, ratings, and reports for wines globally. Overlaps with The Real Review in subscription reviews, classification-style awards, and trade content.
• Wine Spectator: One of the largest subscription wine rating publications globally, with an extensive review archive, top100 lists, and trade-facing tools. A broad incumbent against which The Real Review competes for consumer mindshare.
• Decanter: UK-based premium wine media brand that runs the Decanter World Wine Awards (referenced in The Real Review's awards and recognition) and publishes ratings and editorial content. A peer in wine reviews, awards, and trade-facing content.
• Wine Advocate (Robert Parker): The globally dominant subscription-based wine rating publication founded by Robert Parker. Competes for the same consumer and trade audiences seeking expert blind-tasted reviews, but on a global scale rather than ANZ/GB focus.
• Wine Enthusiast: US-based wine media and reviews platform covering global wines with a subscription component. Operates in the same subscription-reviews category but with US/Europe-centric coverage rather than ANZ/GB focus.

Direct peers

• JancisRobinson.com: Subscription wine review site from Master of Wine Jancis Robinson covering global wines with a strong UK readership. Closely comparable as a personal-brand-led subscription wine review platform.
• Halliday Wine Companion: Australia's flagship wine rating and review publication led by James Halliday. The closest direct competitor in geography and category, offering wine reviews, winery ratings, and a subscription model aimed at Australian wine consumers and trade — closely mirroring The Real Review's core offering.
• Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni): Subscription-based wine rating platform with blind-tasted reviews and regional coverage. Comparable to The Real Review as a paid, expert-driven review destination with trade and consumer subscribers.

Others

• Wine-Searcher: Wine price comparison and review aggregation platform with global coverage. Not a direct editorial competitor, but an adjacent wine media and discovery platform where consumers also research wine ratings and pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheRealRvw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/TheRealReview
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRealRvw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therealrvw
• Instagraminstagram.com/therealrvw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Real Review