I’ve enjoyed reading this board almost every day for almost as long as it has existed. Despite the frequent conspiracy theories and uninformed speculation casually spewed about by too many posters, I’ve learned a great deal from some members (such as Otto Forsberg, Robert Dentice, and many others) whose posts are based on facts, logic, or firsthand information.
Today alone, three separate unsubstantiated accusations of nefarious behavior were spouted against some of the frequent targets by several different posters.
The number one wine conspiracy of all-time:
“rating is based on one critical factor: Advertising dollar…How many years in the past say 10 years, has there been no Antinori wines in the top 10?”
“Do folks believe the consistent year over year presence of certain producers and brands (antinori, certain bordeaux, south america, US) - ones that have a large presence also in the in magazine advertising - is a pure coincidence?”
Another favorite board whipping boy:
“Every couple of years Galloni picks a sacrificial lamb to prove his telling-it-straight chops, all while pumping up the vast majority of everything else. In the past Monprivato Barolo comes to mind. Looks like this year it’s Ridge’s turn in the barrel.”
“I had the same exact reaction to his review. I thought there was a 50/50 chance the was is truly tainted vs him trying to make a point when I first read it.”
Presumably uninformed speculation the poster is certain about:
“I’m certain that they’ve adjusted the margin targets on wine considerably. It’s been an across the board shift over the last 12 months. Costco loves to have that 15% flat message out there in popular press, but it varies considerably by category (as is true in any retail business).”
With such suspicion about the motives of people they don’t know, it’s no wonder false information and conspiracy theories hold sway in society in other areas, in addition to wine. I wish people would be more responsible and informed when they level accusations.
