Comments on: Thank God for Robert Parker

Thank God for Robert Parker

sameasthem — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:37:19 -0800

A Vine Romance I spite of his critics Robert Parker has vastly improved the wine experience for all of us!

By: owalt1

owalt1 — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:48:18 -0800

Ummm. How do you spite? But spencer is all about spite, izzent'e?

By: Lanark

Lanark — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 03:46:10 -0800

Is the secret to choosing good wine just to look at the price tag? Decanter Magazine vs. Robert Parker: A Good Ole' Cat Fight

By: chrisgrau

chrisgrau — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 06:08:26 -0800

The Decanter squabble (and the nasty comments in that linked review) are typical -- the British wine press has been snarky about Parker since he began. This isn't surprising, since prior to him wine reviews (dominated by the Brits) tended to range from "very good" to "very good indeed!" and were often written by folks with one foot in the industry. The problem isn't that Parker exists, it is that there is only one Parker. What wine consumers needs are other critics who are as reliable and respected. (Tanzer comes close.) Parker is only one man with one palate, and as good as he is, the power he has come to exert is a bit scary. The McCoy book is a good read if you are really into wine. A shorter introduction to Parker can be found here: http://erobertparker.com/info/milliondollarnose.asp

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 06:54:16 -0800

Robert Parker formerly on MetaFilter. Also, what chrisgrau said The problem isn't that Parker exists, it is that there is only one Parker.

By: Lanark

Lanark — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:52:41 -0800

Well there is Jancis Robinson - Robinson, Parker have a row over Bordeaux

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 09:42:28 -0800

Parker essentially sets the price of a wine when he assigns it his "number." I think everyone involved finds this a little bit unfortunate. The guys at EnoLogix claim to be able to predict the Parker number with a high degree of accuracy by chemical analysis. Reading about this is interesting.

By: sameasthem

sameasthem — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 15:20:50 -0800

Parker will not be a force forever. However, he has made an interesting contrubution to the overall level of wine quality. I mean those that you might enjoy on a daily basis. The bar has been raised because of his dominance in the business. I can get many very enjoyable, and yes, low priced wines that would not have been available 5 or 10 yrs ago...that's in spite...never mind. These wines might not be complex but are nicely balanced. Want names? There is one red out now that has a Parker 90 for about $12.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 05:45:53 -0800

So what's the name?

By: slowhand

slowhand — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:31:21 -0800

I don't think you can put the change in the makeup of wines all on Parker's shoulders. Clearly, some of this comes from the market itself. There is also some evidence that the he seeks to give back based on his good fortune. Check out: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060606005674&newsLang=en This is a press release about a recent funding event that he lent his name and time to.

By: sameasthem

sameasthem — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:52:29 -0800

Name: Pillar Box Red. It is an Austrailian blend. I'm drinking some right now! Also; I agree, Parker doesn't get all the credit for wines changing.