Of all the international wine critics, none is more influential and better known than Robert Parker. It was therefore interesting to read a Bloomberg Businessweek article about Napa Valley’s reaction to the February decision by Parker to hand over his California reviews to Antonio Galloni.
Galloni, a former investment banker who has written about Italian wines for Parker’s Wine Advocate since 2006, isn’t well known amongst Californian winemakers. Galloni has already caused some concern in the wine establishment by saying he plans to seek out young producers currently under the radar.
The concern centers around the fact that wine producers who made wines for Parker’s palate, and therefore his rating system, may suffer now.
“Even though Bob will deny people make wine to his profile, it absolutely has happened and has been happening for the past 15 years,” wine author Alice Feiring told the magazine. “They’ve kind of lost the golden goose in some ways.”
An insight into what happens when wines are made for the critics and the reality of consumers buying on the basis of critics’ recommendations and not their own palates.