Comments on: The fallout from the rainmaker in Spain

By: Wine, Class, and America : The Daily Witness

Wine, Class, and America : The Daily Witness — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:57:46 +0000

[...] capricious art of wine tasting into a quasi-science.(It’s worth noting that there have been some allegations regarding the impartiality of his magazine, the Wine [...]

By: Dave Erickson

Dave Erickson — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:17:56 +0000

I was reading through this, after reading a bunch of Jim Budd’s reporting, and suddenly felt weary of reading about corruption in the wine business (not just critics, but producers, wholesalers, people like Pancho Campo, Rudy Kirwianan, and good old Hardy Rodenstock (Meinhard Görke). And realized that as much as I wish it would all go away, it won’t. It will probably get worse. This is slightly O/T, but there’s a new economics book called “What Money Can’t Buy” by Michael Sandel that discusses the consequences of living in a society where literally everything is for sale. If you’re at all interested, here’s a review.

By: gabe

gabe — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:07:20 +0000

Tyler, that makes sense to me. And after reading your policies, I guess that means I can’t offer you some payola to give my latest homebrew 90+ points

By: Jack Bulkin

Jack Bulkin — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:02:28 +0000

Thanks Tyler. If I am able to discover my secret insidious agenda against these poor ethical wine critics, you will be the first to know.

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:54:13 +0000

Jack – You are welcome to post your thoughts, questions and “agendas” here.

Gabe- Yes, that’s my point exactly: if the policy is no longer tenable, change the policy.

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:51:59 +0000

mariansheras – Thanks for stopping by and sorry you had trouble reading it. Please try reloading the page for it to display correctly, black text on an white background.

By: gabe

gabe — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:09:14 +0000

I’m with Daniel. I expect wine critics to go out to dinner, schmooze, and drink tons of fancy wine for free. I really don’t care. Just don’t take money from people in exchange for reviews. It’s the one unethical thing that I can’t accept.

And spare me the sob stories of how “tiring” these dinners can be. There are people in this world with real jobs; nobody cares how exhausted Galloni gets drinking vintage bottles of Chateau Margaux.

By: mariansheras

mariansheras — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:23:04 +0000

Sorry, its very difficult read the text with this color…

By: Jack Bulkin

Jack Bulkin — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:54:44 +0000

Can I comment here without getting crucified by false GOD worshippers Tyler? LOL. I guess I can, but I couldn’t on the “Only we have Ethics Wine Newsletter” By the way, I still haven’t figured out this agenda that I am accused of carrying against WA. Can you help out a bewildered brother, and clue me on the nature of my sinister agenda?

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:32:47 +0000

Daniel, I agree that there are too many slips ‘twixt the cup and the lip; practice and policy must be aligned, whether it is along the lines of the existing policy or a looser one.

Either way, transparency is key.

By: Daniel Posner

Daniel Posner — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:17:48 +0000

I have said it before and I will say it again, Robert Parker’s ethical standards are a joke.

They put him and his other wine critics on a pedestal that they cannot stay on, or even try to stay on.

To beat the “we do not take advertising dollars, so we are immune to bias” is an incredible leap of faith, as shown in the Jay Miller scenario.

I wish the new “regime” of Galloni, Martin, etc, would just come out and say

1) We do not buy our sample wines for reviews, as Parker used to state
2) We do not taste blind as Parker used to state
3) We will go out to dinners with winemakers and importers, and owners of wineries, if we feel like it, as we do now
4) We will take free trips if we feel like it, as we do now
5) We will do events, dinners, exhibitions, for profit, with members of the business, as we do now

Then consumers can draw their own picture