Parker Addresses Wine Writers; Closure of eBob to Nonsubscribers

I thought readers here might be interested in my extensive summary of the address by Robert M. Parker, Jr., at the Professional Wine Writers Symposium last week at Meadowood. In it, among other things, he responds to my question about the thinking that went into closing eBob down to non-subscribers in 2010, and whether he has had any regrets: http://www.rjonwine.com/wine-critic/robert-parker/

Richard thanks for this piece. One of the most balanced pieces on RMP I can recall reading on this Board.

Thanks - Richard.

Nice read. Thanks Richard!

Just when I start to like him a little based on his comments, he follows it up with an incredibly arrogant statement. He doesn’t even realize it, I’m sure.

Looks like he is wearing a Navy SEAL pin. Facinating insight into his psychology.

Do as I say not as I do.

Thanks Richard. I appreciate the information. A couple of thoughts:

  1. He really throws Squires under the bus. Wow. As a side note, is Squires still the guy in charge at eBob?

  2. Surprised (but maybe not) at his physical condition. I guess all that travel and living of the good life takes a toll.

  3. Asking him for what he sees as future opportunities for wine writers is a great question, but the fact that he doesn’t give an answer that is satisfactory isn’t that surprising. So much has happened from a technology standpoint since Parker started his career that it doesn’t surprise me that he isn’t as up to speed on what’s next out there. I would suspect this is one of the many reasons that he cashed out. As an aside, my Grandfather started an apparel manufacturing company from scratch. It took a lot of guts and even more hard work to make it a successful company. But it took his sons (with new and innovative ideas) to take the company to the next level and into the next generation of manufacturing and sales practices. Parker came along at a fortuitous time and put in the hard work and guts to become successful. Now he is handing the proverbial wine writing reins to the next generation of writers and it’s their job to figure out where the opportunities lie.

  4. It takes a really special personality to ignore or shrug off criticism for a long period. Now I tend to agree with much of the criticism that was aimed at Parker, but the sheer volume has to get to a guy and to me, it’s no surprise that Parker didn’t handle it perfectly. Most people don’t. Discussion forums can be great places to learn and build relationships, but they can also be tough on both the participants and those whose business or product we are discussing.

Thanks!

I thought the Squires comment showed more sympathy towards Squires than “throwing him under the bus.”

Terrific coverage Richard - thank you -

I grew up with the Wine Advocate, and remember how exciting it was to receive that baby in the mail every other month back in the 80s - You got to know Parker’s palate pretty fast after an issue or two (he was trashing Burgundy to my chagrin back in the early 80s as well - I wanted to literally attack him after his '85 and '88 Burgundy reviews) but no one seemed to mind because it was just so exciting to be exposed to all the little French and Italian importers Parker was introducing us too -

And it’s always been Parker’s “telling it like it is” attitude that was the draw much more than the line of thinking that he was that “knowledgable” about wine -

I’m certainly open to other interpretations. :slight_smile:

Actually, Mike, I missed the second half of the Squires comments when I replied to you. On second read, I am in agreement with you.

He was awarded that by the Navy Seals foundation the previous day for his efforts in raising significant funds to support their efforts.

RJ very nice article.

Having been on Parker’s/Squires board back then, I never heard his take on the partition.

I was a bit shocked at Parker’s appearance. I remember him as robust as in the 2003 photo.

I may have to re-think my wine intake … although it was never at his level.

Great article, Richard…and pretty even-handed treatment, I thought, of him.

A couple of points:

  1. The NYTimes columnist was TerryRobards, not Harry. Don’t know if that was yours or his mistake.

  2. I don’t believe that that was correct that PenfoldsGrange was not imported into the US in '78. I seem to recall
    seeing it up in Boulder in the mid-'70’s…but I could be wrong.

  3. As Mike says, he certainly did throw Squires under the bus. Deservedly so, perhaps.

  4. I won’t comment on his appearance because it always peeved me when these reporters would attend a
    CondyRice press briefing and would preface their article about what dress she was wearing.

  5. In his response to Jon’s pointed question (good for you, Jon) he says: “it’s a mistake to have a formula to pick grapes at a lower brix”.
    The same can be said of higher brix as well. Formulas for winemaking are always a mistake. I don’t think any of these winemakers
    who prefer lower alcohol wines doing anything by “formula”, least not the ones I know.

  6. In “this argument w/ AdamTolmach”: “…people making those wines should trash those that are big and alcoholic”. I guess I can’t recall
    anything that Adam has ever said that I could characterize as “trashing” those wines. Quite an overstatement. Applies to a lot of those winemakers.
    Most of them state outright the style of wines they wish to makel; but that does not constitute “trashing” the wines that don’t fit that mold.

  7. It seems that you did pick up an underlying thread of arrogance that often comes thru in Parker’s screeds and that he seemed to go out
    of his way to downplay.

Thanks for sharing that with us, Richard.

Tom

Agreed with your comments re his Burgundy reviews.

After his comments re 1993 red review ( with his translations at the back of that Issue ), I did not renew my subscription.

Shocked for his appearance and sad…

For me, nothing more important that your health after age 65. [cheers.gif]

“The mistake that was probably made was that I should have policed Mark a little better. I believe in ‘killing them with kindness.’” Parker indicated that, by contrast, Mark, an attorney, metaphorically “took a sledgehammer,” beat people down, and then “poured sulphuric acid over them. That doesn’t engender a lot of friends.”


Yowza!!!


“I do believe flavor intensity is critical, and I look at what the wine is going to be. You need some power, some richness, some intensity. Otherwise, the wine will fall apart because there’s nothing there. And I am looking for wines that will be better in five to ten years than they are today. Some of the thin, feminine, elegant wines being praised today will fall apart. You can’t expect soft, shallow wine to get any better. You need some intensity.”

This displays such a fundamental misunderstanding of wines like Burgundy and Rioja that it boggles the mind.

For me, reading Parkers comments and screeds is a waste of time, as usual…

For ages, people create idols, worship them and then destroy them. The last phase of such a spectacle is painful for everyone involved, particularly, of course, for the idol himself.

I wish I could like and respect Parker more, but he makes that impossible. I have rarely met an individual more in love with his own persona. His gratuitous insults and his exclusionary world view make it extremely hard to give the man his due.