I don’t know if y’all caught the news yesterday, but Robert Parker, the wine industry’s “golden palate,” is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of Wine Advocate. Incidentally, he is also planning to do away with the print version of his publication, allow advertising on his web site for the first time ever and sell a “substantial interest” in Wine Advocate to a group of investors from Singapore. That’s a lot of change for a guy who has maintained a consistent approach to wine ratings since he first launched Wine Advocate in 1978. Parker has been a force in the industry for more than 30 years and is the ultimate taste maker. His palate, insured at $1M, has influenced the popularity of varietals (for example he helped create the market for Chateauneuf du Pape.) Many of today’s winemakers manipulate the taste and style of their wines in order to appeal to Parker’s palate—and earn their wine one of his high ratings. Many consumers rely on Parker’s rating system when purchasing a bottle. A perfect 100 point score can make or break a wine— and a winemaker. While I certainly respect Parker’s influence I also chafe at the system he created. He is the reason I started My Wine Tribe. After years of trying wines that came highly rated, I had to stop and ask myself why the hell I was spending so much money on wines I didn’t like. Was something wrong with me? That is when I finally realized that Bob and I must have different palates and we probably wouldn’t agree on what the perfect cup of coffee was either. And that’s okay. So go and take the quiz, find out what tribe you are in and get wine recommendations based on your palate, not Robert Parker’s. Let freedom ring. We are democratizing wine ratings here, people. So cheers to Robert Parker—and to us! PS: If you are interested in learning more about the life and times of Robert Parker check out this book: The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker Jr. and the Reign of American Taste. (Ecco, $25.95)
