LaPresse: SAQ paid Suckling $24,000 for reviews

Sigh.

I’m 71 points on that

The lack of disclosure and then denial shows a less than ethical intent.

The lack of comment afterwards is particularly frustrating to me. If you lie about it, whatever, that’s unethical of course, but when caught, at least OWN IT.

This is disgusting. How can a wine reviewer accept money in the thousands for wine reviews? I can see paying his expenses and am even ok with the subscriptions as they can be given away as gifts to clients and employees… but $24,000 just for his reviews? WTF?

An endeavor only made possible by people in power still stuck in the old mindset and not aware of something called “the Internet” that is out there to help unravel this. Also, much credit to La Presse for uncovering this.

BTW, he and a few others charge the property owners for a visit and a video segment.

Even this can’t lower my opinion of James Suckling any further.

The fact that he flat out LIED about it on his blog - not even saying the money was for videos or something…the dude said their was no financial relationship whatsoever - is a pretty epic fail…

Does Mr. Suckling have a stated policy re: ethics, payment/nonpayment for reviews, etc.?

Bruce

Nope…that is the craziest part. Suckling and SAQ made it an issue when they could have just said/ posted / done nothing…instead he chose to say there was no financial relationship for whatever reason…

James has to put bread on the table so I am letting him slide on this.

SUCKLING PAID 24,000 FOR REVIEWS:

AND NOT ONE PERSON’S OPINION OF HIS CREDIBILITY CHANGES EVEN A LITTLE BIT.

[scratch.gif]

In other words he never had any to begin with.

And I’m 98 points on that. [cheers.gif]

Just goes to show when you think you have hit the bottom of the barrel, you can lift the barrel and see what lurks underneath.

How can anyone here be shocked or incredulous?

I’d be surprised if he were the only one. Huge sums of money are at stake here.

We don’t care much about the world champion sommeliers in the states but they are pretty influential in Europe. They too will charge a fee to visit a property. I personally think this is worse than charging SAQ.

Guys…it’s all cool…he lives in Tuscany…