A good video to review, or to see for the first time, ROBERT PARKER’S BITCH looks at the issue of the power of wine critics to influence how wine is made, marketed, and sold.

This from the well-worth-your-time SOIF Blog (LINK) speaks to the video:

Yes, it is 26 minutes long and very few of you are going to have the dedication for that.  And don’t think I am trotting this out as a slam-dunk on the argument.  Just an interesting piece about 5 years old which needs to be dredged out occasionally.  Nothing ground-shaking here–more about marketing than anything.  Anyone who has ever had a 1985 Napa Cab and a 2005 Napa Cab and a 2015 Napa Cab and wondered what happened should watch this.  Anyone who enjoyed Sonoma Zinfandel in the 90’s and has tried Paso Robles Zinfandel today should watch this.  It is in-depth enough the serious wineNerds will enjoy it and if it just plants the seed of “Why?” in the minds of the not-so-wineDork, then I have done my job.  Read your labels, people.

Here is the video:

I think the video does a good job of defining the territory – and, perhaps as was noted, the younger generation (Millennials) and beyond will move to new ways of discovering wine. And remember, the oldest Millennials are nearly 40. That said, if the Parker favored style is not to your taste, there are plenty of options – but you will have to become educated about them.

As I often say in this blog – wine is about enjoyment, and the depth of knowledge of any wine lover only needs to be sufficient to allow the level of enjoyment desired. We don’t need to be experts to enjoy wine, but it is good to have information like this as wine consumers.

As always, your comments are welcomed.

Copyright 2018 – Jim Lockard