The prominence of wine for drinking and investment has created an entire industry of wine critics and journalists with their own trade publications, magazines and websites that regularly taste and score wines for you as a consumer.
A number of these critics have become highly influential within their fields of expertise and hold enormous power as taste-makers and validators and Charles Winn has experienced first-hand just how influential wine critics are on the market. These critics have the ability to make or break a new wine before it even comes to market – the ratings of these critics have a noticeable knock-on effect on market prices. Familiarise yourself below with some of the key names to know:
Robert Parker Jr.
Likely the single most influential critic in the world of wine, the scores and re-scores of American-born Robert Parker Jr are eagerly awaited by both collectors and investors worldwide. His nose and palate have led to him being assigned the nickname ‘the million dollar nose’ due to being insured for $1,000,000.
In 1978, Parker shook up the fine wine industry when he launched the first free issue of his bi-monthly newsletter, ‘The Wine Advocate’. This newsletter was the first independent consumer guide to buying wine, and subsequently had a significant effect on the wine-buying consumer in America. Today it has more than 50,000 subscribers, and although Parker Jr. remains an owner, he announced in 2012 that he would be stepping down as editor-in-chief. Parker Jr. instead continues to provide influential scores nominally for Bordeaux and Rhone wines, leaving scores of other regions to fellow critics at ‘The Wine Advocate’.
The Parker ‘100 point scale’ has had incomparable influence on wine critics – many of whom previously rated wines on a 20 point scale (it must be noted that this is a practice still maintained and preferred by some). Charles Winn says everyone in the know, knows that ‘Parker points’ have a direct correlation on the price point of a wine, with only 95+ scored wines included in the Fine Wine 100 index, and with perfect ‘100-point’ wines being the most desirable on the market.
James Suckling
Formerly Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of the ‘Wine Spectator’ magazine, James Suckling began his career at Robert Parker Jr.’s ‘Wine Advocate’ during the 1980s, overseeing its monumental growth to what it has become today.
Continuing to write for the ‘Wine Advocate’, Suckling launched his own website in 2010 where his beloved Bordeaux wines are reviewed according to the ‘Wine Spectator 100-point scale’, a similar revision to Parker Jr.’s own.
Suckling has showcased a modern style of wine reviewing which is refreshing for Charles Winn, with a heavy influence on blogs, video tastings and interviews on his own website. Numerous critics have been influenced by his visual style, and subsequently followed suit to his points of comparison to Parker Jr.
Neal Martin
Having developed a passion for wine whilst working for a Japanese export company – responsible for the likes of Petrus and Latour – Neal Martin embarked on a course of wine education and then completed a WSET diploma. In 2003, he launched the website wine-journal.com, which gained over 100,000 followers within three years – including the seminal Robert Parker Jr. Parker Jr. made Martin his protegé, and asked him to write for his erobertparker online platform, where his Wine Journal has been offered exclusively ever since – his reviews serve as a useful contrast to the opinions of RPJ.
Tim Atkin MW
Tim Atkin is a British Master of wine and a prolific wine commentator, with regular contributions in Woman and Home, Intelligent Life, Off License News, The World of Fine Wines and Imbibe. His writing is award winning, making him a four-time UK Wine Guild Wine Correspondent of the year. He is a regular figure on television and radio, a public speaker, wine educator and sits on the judging panel for prestigious international wine competitions such as the International Wine Challenge and the Vin de Pays Top 100.
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson, the best-known British wine critic, was the first individual outside the world of wine trade to earn the prestigious title ‘Master of Wine’ – the highest professional qualification – and was made an OBE in 2003. Robinson’s status is so elite that she advises Queen Elizabeth II on her personal wine cellar.
Her column in the Financial Times and tasting notes and scores on her personal blog are followed many faithful fans worldwide. Her ratings work on a 20-point scale and are second only to Robert Parker Jr.’s in terms of direct influence on price point. They provide a valuable British counterpoint to American scores. Differences in opinion between the two critics provide lively points of debate to expectant followers.
Allen Meadows
A successful financial executive for many years, American Allen Meadows has long held a deep passion for all things wine and has been an enthusiastic collector of fine French wines. In 1999, Meadows left Finance to focus on his true calling – Fine Wine. One year later in 2000, he had founded Burghound.com, the first wine site to focus exclusively on a single region, Burgundy. He regularly updated his review site with tasting notes, features and wine profiles on a quarterly basis. Robert Parker Jr. ceased to cover the Burgundy region for the ‘Wine Advocate’ in 1996, and Meadows’ site was therefore well received and grew quickly in popularity due to his own niche in the industry. He is now amongst the most influential Burgundy critics, with his 100 point scale scores being widely quoted.
Antonio Galloni
A former critic working for ‘The Wine Advocate’, Antonio Galloni announced in February 2013 that he would be leaving the publication and starting his own online magazine ‘Vinous’.
Galloni’s new venture targeted a wider audience of wine lovers, making him more accessible globally. He continued to report on the wines of Burgundy, Italy, Champagne and California, and also decided to take on the task of reviewing Bordeaux wines following on from the next vintage in 2013.