Someday I will publish two versions of my reviews, one with and the other without scores and see which gets the most attention. I spent too many years selling wine in retail to believe consumers are not at least more aware of a wine, and possibly wanting to try it because of what a wine writer (who pretty much does nothing else) thinks of the wine.
This was true 10 years ago. The only writers I ever followed were for the NYT and johnson’s Pocket guide.Wine shops were always more of an influence and the last 10 years wine boards and bloggers.
+1 on this. I am not a believer in “perfect” scores in wine, it’s too subjective.
However, I am very happy for Jim Anderson. I like Patricia Green wines and am happy to see them get that praise from Paul Gregutt.
I don’t believe that invalidates my belief that you’ll find better guidance here on WB than from any critics reviews. And that belief doesn’t mean their reviews are not useful to people, including myself on occasion.
…drop the mic. When FMIII calls you out…boom. I’ve known Frank for more than 10 years and can’t recall a SINGLE negative word out of his mouth (or keyboard) about anybody. That guy has a heart of gold, and he’s performed more charitable acts in an afternoon than most of us will in our entire lives. When you piss off the one guy on the board least likely to call you out, maybe you should give it up.
FMIII is a bona fide BOARD DARLING and I consider myself one of his FAN BOYS.
So, you’re okay with someone disparaging an entire region, but not with it being pointed out that anti-points zealots might have a double standard? Brilliant!
I don’t know Pax wines at all although I did pick up some Wind Gap Pinots one Berserker Day. I think it’s terrific that someone who is held in regard here and seems to be a small producer and normal person/winery is getting a 100 point review. I can tell you from the perspective of a winery that has never been super review/score oriented that your own opinion on the critic of this business is a moot point. It’s simply part of the process and the best one can do is negotiate themselves through the field of it as best possible. I think there are really good, honest and earnest wine critics out there that work hard, taste conscientiously and write well. I think that matches up with certain wineries all over the world that are striving to make wines that are better, more honest, more interesting and more derived from the places they come from even in the face of increasing corporatization within the wine industry. Since wineries like mine, Pax and oodles of others cannot throw serious money at marketing and advertising, having interesting and, in my mind anyway, independent reviewers point these wines out to people then that’s a good thing ultimately. Yes, there are scores and it’s as subjective a thing as the day is long and someone’s 98 is another person’s 87. I’m not saying critics are there to be “used” by wineries to sell wine but it is certainly not a different relationship than any of the zillion other things that have a professional reviewing segment associated with their industry (restaurants, movies, cars, etc.).
As for being a board darling I don’t know that either Pax or PGC qualifies. We certainly don’t at least in the pejorative sense of the word. I searched and found 1,846 references. I am sure if you took out the following 3 things:
2013 and 2014 Berserker Cuvée
Berserker Day offerings
Who should I visit in Oregon Wine Country?
we would have very few mentions in the grand scheme of things. I think that’s not only how the board is but how most people who buy and consume Oregon wines roll. We don’t, in general, have very many reviews/wine on Cellartracker either. I haven’t looked or asked but I bet Marcus Goodfellow would say basically the same thing about his experience with the same things. However, I think people on the board have liked coming to my winery, I have made friends with many people who post here and I think people have enjoyed both the wines and the interactive aspect of things that they may not have gotten without this board being here. I would agree that in that sense we are, if not a board darling, a winery here that people have and do enjoy visiting and drinking the wines from.
Anyway, congrats to the people at Pax! It also seems like people here were pleased with how they handled the situation (kept the wine online and did not change the price) which I would say speaks to the integrity and character of the people running the winery. That, in and of itself, would make me want to purchase their wines. I hope the 100 point review helps their sales and allows them to buy a new (whatever piece of equipment they need/want because every winery is in that position) that will allow them to make even better wine going forward.
I deeply appreciate the time, and energy, critics spend reviewing our wines. I appreciate that their opinions give consumers a chance to know my winery exists(as I, like PGC, spend almost no money on advertising…for various reasons).
I appreciate very much the impact of Lisa Perroti-Brown’s scores last year, and was equally irked by Neal Martin’s two years prior. I look forward to meeting and tasting with Erin Brooks, and miss tasting with David Schildknecht. I wish Oregon could get the same reviewer for more than two years in a row…and while I really appreciate Matt Kramer’s philosophical thoughts on the wine world, I also wish he had the time or inclination to author a book about the Willamette Valley(I also secretly wish Terry Theise would also author a book on the Willamette Valley).
Our region is far more complex, diverse, and intriguing than a person without some distinct experience in our wines could comprehend. It’s challenging to spend so much time obsessively focused on a very difficult craft, and have it reviewed as a 1.5oz sample in the middle of 100 other such samples…but I don’t have a better solution either.
And as publicly stated on a number of threads, I do think that points will help the OP author, he would get better information from people on this very board.
And congratulations to Pax, I hope it is as surreal as I would imagine!
I ran into Pax at the winery the other day and when I congratulated him on the score he just shrugged. Wasn’t sure what pitch to expect but a curve ball was not it.
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