Robert Parker

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Robert Parker

For Lovers of Aged Bordeaux, an Opening

Evan Dawson
Feature Stories
5 min read
But is it a door, or just a window? Modern winemaking can do all kinds of neat tricks. Soften the tannins and make even Barolo more approachable in its relative youth? We can do that. Manipulate the acids to save a white wine that would otherwise taste like an electric

Time for a truce on alcohol levels

W. Blake Gray
Features
4 min read
Is the battle over wine alcohol level over? Is it time to climb out of our World War I-type trenches? Last month, Constellation Brands unveiled a huge 8-country survey that asked regular wine drinkers whether they have bought, or would buy, lower-alcohol wine. Of respondents, 38% said they have and

When Sake Gets Too Polished

W. Blake Gray
Features
4 min read
Rice needs to be polished to make premium sake. But there's an arms race going on, and American consumers have something to do with it, because unlike so much about sake, we can easily understand numbers. Hollywood celebrities and Las Vegas high rollers are seeking out sakes with absurdly low

Natalie MacLean: World’s Best Wine Writer or Content Thief?

Palate Press
About
4 min read
Natalie MacLean is a well-known wine writer who self-publishes a subscription newsletter at NatalieMacLean.com, who proudly proclaims she was named the “World’s Best Wine Writer” at the World Food Media Awards. Unfortunately, Ms. MacLean appears to be building her reputation, and her business, on the work of others. Her website

Struggling with Wine Tasting Notes

W. Blake Gray
Features
5 min read
Tasting notes are the hardest thing for me to write about wine. I have strong opinions about the elements of a good tasting note. But while I love a good argument, I have stayed out of this one because I don't feel comfortable telling other people how to write them.

The 30-Year War

W. Blake Gray
Features
5 min read
If sommeliers want to win their 30-year war with critics, they must harness the power of validation. Before the rise of Robert Parker, sommeliers had far more power in deciding what wines Americans drank. Many Americans hated and feared them. That's a major reason Parker became so powerful: he freed