In order to qualify for the US trials in 2016 for the 1500 meter run, a runner had to post a time in the 1500 of 3:38 or in the mile of 3:54. That’s just to qualify to run in the trials! When Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes in May 1954, it was news throughout the world. Is it possible that wine making technique and technology has improved such that there are so many more wines these days that reach the quality standards that would have gotten 100 points 30 years ago? I’m just trying to avoid the truth of the slogan on the back of the shirt my sons got me, “The older I get, the better I was.”
Um, yeah, but unlike wine criticism the measures for running are entirely objective (time and distance), and the bar for achievement has been raised higher. There is no “congrats you matched Bannister’s time” award.
I know others take glee in TWA’s downfall, but I don’t. It was not on;y the most important wine-related periodical of all time, but it had a direct and on-balance enormously positive influence on my appreciation of wine. It saddens me to see what has happened there. I really like a couple of their current reviewers, but the precipitous decline will continue until/unless the management (ownership?) structure changes
Well, Jay…there are some folks who assert that there has been a continuous improvement in wine quality over the yrs
and that that improvement is due to the criticism of RobertParker. Just sayn’.
Tom
I echo this. The periodical was important to me until he started going crazy over cult and garage wines. I think my scubscription lapsed in 1999. Amazing that it was 19 years ago! I learned a lot about Bordeaux and wine appreciation from Parker’s early writings.
I wonder if TWA could change course, positively, by lifting the firewall. I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the eBob forum until it started disentegrating - was it the Sierra Carche thing or something else that was the catalyst, or just the slow decline of cilivity? Open the doors back up, introduce us to the new wealth of review talent by allowing freedom of discourse on their forum. I just do not see the value as a “paid asset” of the subscription members, heck even the scores and reviews are all over the internet and retail shelves.
I’m still a subscriber, believe it or not. I renewed after my hiatus from wine, mainly because of the database, which is useful for backfilling. Not all Neal Martin’s stuff is actually available elsewhere. William Kelley has been an excellent addition, but sadly he covers regions I don’t follow. I’m hoping he’ll be given Bordeaux? The rest of them seem quite nice and some are clearly competent, but Lisa is simply not credible on Bordeaux, IMHO. As for her 34 x 100 points, I suspect it’s just another marketing ploy to try and revive the brand.
Yes, EBob used to be fun and informative, back in the day. The current team have made it abundantly clear that they have no interest whatsoever in the bulletin board, even failing to respond to perfectly reasonable subscriber questions, so there is no chance of any lifting of the firewall.