Wine Parkerization

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Wine Parkerization refers to the stylization of wines by some wineries to please the taste of influential wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.. Large numbers of consumers, collectors and investors, especially in the increasingly important United States wine market, make purchasing decisions based on the numerical scores that Mr. Parker awards to wines based on his taste preferences.

Winemakers around the world realize that a high score from Parker greatly influences the demand and resulting prices for a wine. In the case of a prestigious and expensive wine “the difference between a score of 85 and 95 was 6 to 7 million Euros” says one Bordeaux shipper (McCoy).

Parkerization has lead many wineries around the world to produce low yields (typically through green harvesting), harvest grapes as late in the season as possible, produce unfiltered wine, and sometimes use new techniques such as microoxygenation to soften tannins.^{[citation needed]}

Some observers decry the impact of Mr. Parker and fear that it is leading to a homogenization of wine styles around the world. This is the view promoted of some of the interviewees in the motion picture Mondovino. On the other hand, Parker himself is highly critical of "industrial wines with little flavor and no authenticity." He believes that there are still undiscovered regions and wines that can successfully challenge the wine establishment.

According to Elin McCoy, Parker is a consumer advocate who admires Ralph Nader and has been critical of most wine critics who, traditionally, have been part of the wine industry and have a vested interest. His commitment is to his readers rather than to producers. He believes that a producer’s reputation and prestige is unimportant compared to the wine in the glass.

Despite being portrayed as a consumer advocate, Parker is increasingly criticized by consumers who feel that he has become part of the wine industry. As evidence for their claims, critics point to the volume of high scores he issues which arguably inflate pricing, his apparent unwillingness to moderate the market's exuberance for rapid price escalation, and his propensity to make statements which some interpret as unnecessary hype.

[edit] See also

• Garagistes
• Globalization of wine

[edit] Sources

• Hughes, Samuel. Taste: The wine advocate and his empire. Pennsylvania Gazette, October 25, 2005. [1]
• McCoy, Elin. The Emperor of Wine: the Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste. NY: HarperCollins, 2005.
• Mark Squires Forum. "Greetings from Bordeaux" [2]
• Mark Squires Forum. "Pegau halts production because Parker's score too high?" [3]