Ha, maybe though I’d at least entertain that he had legit concerns. I don’t have a particularly have a problem with criticizing a restaurant, though I think “restaurant bad; see my pay site post for details,” is bad form. My general comment was more directed to the thread drift about how a critic has to operate more generally.
i understand that, but i won’t go that far at all. merely looking at what william kelley posts on this board contradicts this.
There a few instances where a critic mentioned he was banned from a property because of a less than great review or score. I believe that is why Parker first employed Rovani, as he was being shunned in Burgundy.
Wonder what Gilman’s average is…
But average scores are going to be a function of how much wine you review also and what market segment you focus on. It’s also much easier to make not-shitty wine than it was decades ago. Clear thread drift, but I do think critics should use more of the range. 88 point wine should theoretically be very enjoyable wine, but almost like Uber/Yelp/etc anything below 90 (or 5 stars) just seems to create the question “what’s wrong with ____?”
Like I said, I like much of what critics, and specifically William and sometimes Antonio, have to say, but I don’t find enough critique. My specific axe to grind is with super hot, overripe vintages. Critics are constantly excusing wines that don’t display varietal typicity. And I’m not expecting them to throw a region or producer under the bus, but at least let us know that the wines are huge and ripe instead of telling us how improved canopy management technique have really allowed them to make a graceful wine despite the three year drought and 99 degree nights for the entire month of July. I think they owe it to their audience to describe the wines accurately and not leave people shocked when the vintage has a dominant character that was not at all addressed in the notes. (I’m looking at you, 2015/18 Beaujolais).
I don’t know if it is that the wines show much differently when very young and critic are tasting them, if there is an implicit bias in the reviewers where they tend to be unconsciously kind to the producers they like, if tasting so many wines makes one somewhat blind to certain effects, if many critics are tasting in marathon sessions which minimize such effects, or if it is something else entirely. Anyway, I don’t pay for any critical subscriptions so I don’t think anyone much cares what I think. It’s just my observation.
I like your thread drift here.
It’s part of the reason I don’t get as excited as many others on this board about Bordeaux. I can’t stand 2009 and 2015, and frankly 2018 or 2020. Has nothing to do with price, it’s the style of the wines. They still say Bordeaux to me, but just not enough.
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Couldn’t help but pop in and say something since I know there’s a good chance my friends who work there will find themselves reading this thread at some point.
As Robert said, there have been some pretty notable moves in and out of their wine team in the last two years, but the revolving door at Modern is different than it can be at other institutions. The splashiest exits were somms getting promoted to run other programs in the city or pivoting their careers in ways that panned out quickly. The best new entrants to the team have been captains being moved to wine service because the group beverage team rightly identified internal talent. The Modern isn’t one of the stops to add two stars to your resume and then leave after a year.
I won’t fuss about the floor dynamics of a Galloni visit in the dining room—I’ll save that for when I run into Nikita at a restaurant in the next month and want to chitchat about it—but I will say this as an observation about wine programs generally: there are some very prestigious wine programs in this city run by deeply competent people who know volumes about wine but who have fallen out of love with it. There are some programs run by less experienced people who are eager to learn everything about wine but whose passion for it is obvious.
Personalities being equal, I personally pick passion over encyclopedic knowledge. The Modern’s team skews towards passion. If you want to engage over esoteric details about every bottle on the list…well, Jonathan isn’t there anymore to wax poetic about everything that’s ever been bottled. But if you want to be well served by kind sommeliers who are eager to give time to people in the wine community and who are a part of it on their days off, the Modern is a great stop. I’m not sure what Galloni was thrown off by, but I fully expect to roll my eyes about it when I find out.
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Lenny, who in the world are you replying to or referring to this this comment?
I totally agree with you @Dan_Bast_an and I am sure we will talk more about it in person. I will say that there have been different personalities who have been a part of that program, but want to highlight Arthur as he is a great resource for his team. I had a chance to really taste with him when I took over Ko from him as he was moving to the Modern, and it was really a pleasure to see such passion and love for wine. We continue to want to see diversity in wine programs and sometimes that should also mean different approaches in running a program. Not everyone should be lauded for schmoozing is all I will say… BUT I still want to know what Galloni was referencing in terms of the wine program, since it is vague
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I think it’s reasonably clear from the context that Antonio’s disappointment is service related. What exactly caused him to write the note remains to be seen; posters with a Vinous subscription will hopefully enlighten us (I do not have one). I remain of the view that the way the message has been delivered says more about Antonio than it does the Modern. The quality of the food, the wine list and the knowledge and passion of the somms working there isn’t really the point if, as I expect, the issue (or perceived issue) was service.
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In his replies he wrote that he will post his review of the wine portion on IG
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I’d say I’m waiting with bated breath, but I don’t follow him on IG 
Tempest in a teapot…nay…
a Gale in a Grassl!
Amirite…!?
I’ll see myself out.
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93 posts in a thread about some dude who critiques fermented grape juice for a living making a passive comment about being disappointed in some aspect of dinner at one of the many dining establishments in NYC.
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those are rookie numbers.
There were some great discussions about stemware…
Great post.
To your last point, I kind of hope it’s as anti-climatic as you think it will be.
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Oh blah blah blah…this is a wine discussion board and the topic is about wine(ish).
Arthur Hon was sommelier at Sepia in Chicago right? Their wine program under him was excellent!
On the topic of USHG wine glasses, Ci Siamo has Gabriel Glas. Also reasonable corkage like all the USHG restaurants and great food.
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