Giving quality wine to Americans, would be like feeding strawberries to pigs

Watch this space in the next 24 months to see what is exported.

I cared about full disclosure. Tyler has disclosed his trip and the important details of it, other than where he took his last dump in Southeastern Australia, which I do not wish to know about.

I, along with many others, want honest reviews, with full disclosure. Is Tyler on vacation with his best friend in Australia? No, he is not.

Was Jay Miller on a vacation with his best friend in Australia, yes he was. Did Jay Miller constantly promote his best friend as the savior of Australian wine importing in the United States? Yes he did. Did Jay Miller post a 100 point score without a Tasting Note about a wine being imported by his best friend? yes he did. Until just this past month, did Jay Miller ever disclose that he and Dan Philips were best friends? No, he did not.

Big differences. Big differences.

Journalists being comped as an acceptable practice is a new concept.

No credible journalist has ever asked me for a comped trip in 20 years in the wine trade.

You cared about free trips when it involves Jay Miller and Mark Squires. Tyler is also a journalist, why are his standards different. Because he admits to being comped?

It is unfortunate that you think your comments have been constructive, because I do not think anyone here would agree. Naturally, you are entitled to your opinion, but why not just take issue on your own blog rather than interfering with Tyler’s.

You wrote…”Being comped is a new concept.”

Completely false.

How many people do you take on free trips to your wineries per year?

No one cares about the free trips…except you…so save it.

To whom? To you? I think that an irrelevant concern. Is not the goal of this site to edify the reader? I have found many, if not most of Joe’s posts interesting and valuable. At a time when the Internet seems poised to replace print media as the main source of in-depth journalism, the questions of what standards will be set and how they will be policed very germane. As this becomes the medium of record, one must welcome being held to the utmost scrutiny and accountability, especially in terms of disclosure and sourcing, or the supposedly illuminated will become a confederacy of dunces, and the burden of journalism to bring all things into the light will be tragically unmet for the whole culture. It starts with every one of us.

I must, therefore, thank you for allowing Joe his soapbox. In the interest of your own credibility, please do not take it away.

I do enjoy making wine in Australia. Alarming some with use of stems, skins on whites, but whatever, …

Facades and egos abound, on this forum, in a cellar, at the table…as does wine. In the end, we all share it, right?

Now if Dr Vino doesn’t have such a public policy, then who is paying for his Australia trip (and god help us, whether or not it’s luxurious) is 100% irrelevant.

G.

Also, I think it’s a mistake to think of this as a pure promo trip. It’s not like giving someone 55 Grange is going make any more of it available. And I should add that the Australian Wine Research Institute is a pretty well regarded institution and not exactly one you just drop by whilst Fosters is trying to flog you Rosemount.

I should add that I’d like to see all the writers I like get invited to such seminars not just here in Australia, but all over the wine world.

I also played a constructive role when you called for a boycott of the Beaujolais Nouveau because of the carbon footprint of the air shipment. In fact, as I pointed out at the time, the French government had advanced the day for the Beaujolais Nouveau release so that everything could leave on boat. Thusly, a bottle of Californian wine would have a higher carbon footprint than a wine from Lancié.

I also think my comments about Parker have been constructive. I’ve never liked Parker’s taste but you threw a lot of mud at him, some true, some untrue, to see what would stick and to make your name. It was not responsible.

I also disagree with you and think it is shameful that you went after Parker for doing the same thing you are doing in Australia.

I also think that promoting local wines as the be all and end all is just plain silly. This is something you do endlessly, except when you win junkets to Australian, which certainly is not local wine to readership.

I also think your emphasis on carton wine is just plain silly. Are you asking for Grange Hermitage to bottle in self-pouring cartons?

I think you’re a nice guy but too involved in self-promotion and factual sloppiness. I have no hesitation about participating here. I’ve not said anything slanderous or untrue about you.

@ Grant, you’re right! The number one wine in Australia is Oyster Bay Suavignon Blanc. Whoda thunk?

@ mydailywine – the irony of the location wasn’t lost on me either. But it’s more of a conference than it is local vineyard tours and the event organizers have done a superb job highlighting wines and winemakers from regions throughout the country.

Starting last fall and then resuming in April, you have posted almost 100 comments on this site. I have not deleted or edited anything you have posted. Of the comments, only one has been vaguely helpful, the one in which you drew on your success as a wine importer to help shed light on the pricing of wine in this country. The rest of your involvement here has been a constant stream heckling (or worse), often factually incorrect or based on deliberately false assumptions. You have directed most of this at me but have also targeted other commenters; in fact, most threads in which you intervene swiftly devolve into a toxic asset that federal funds couldn’t even rescue. I devote a lot of time and energy to making this site a fun and informative discussion about wine, a beverage that brings a lot of joy to many people. If you want to contribute your industry insight and opinion in a balanced, non-accusatory way, that’s fine. But otherwise I respectfully ask you to go about your business and let me go about mine.