''The Wine Advocate'', fully known as ''Robert Parker's Wine Advocate'' and informally abbreviated ''TWA'' or ''WA ''or more recently as ''RP'', is a bimonthly
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
publication based in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
featuring the consumer advice of wine critic
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert McDowell Parker Jr. (born July 23, 1947) is a retired U.S. wine critic. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter ''The Wine Advocate'' are influential in American wine buying and are therefore a major factor in setting th ...
Initially titled ''The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate'' the first issue was published in 1978.
Accepting no advertising, the newsletter publishes in excess of 12,000 reviews per year, utilizing Parker's rating system that employs a 50–100 point quality scale (Parker Points® or simply ''RP''). These
wine ratings
A wine rating is a score assigned by one or more wine critics to a wine tasted as a summary of that critic's evaluation of that wine. A wine rating is therefore a subjective quality score, typically of a numerical nature, given to a specific bottl ...
have a significant effect on the sales of the reviewed wine.
Background and history
Robert Parker first developed an interest in wine on a trip to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
while in college studying
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
. In the 1970s, Parker was influenced by the activist
consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supp ...
philosophy of
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes.
The son of Lebanese immigrants to the Un ...
and saw in the wine industry a lack of independent wine criticism that was not sponsored by the distributors or wineries being reviewed. He released his first edition of ''The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate'' in 1978, originally as a
complimentary bi-monthly feature. It soon changed to a
subscription periodical and by 1984 was successful enough that Parker could quit practicing law full-time and focus on wine reviews.
[J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition p. 507 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
Parker and ''The Wine Advocate'' first garnered international, mainstream attention for his early prediction of the superiority and quality of the 1982
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
of
Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...
. Parker's enthusiastic endorsement created a spike of interest from American wine buyers in purchasing
wine futures of this vintage, prior to its release to the public. This had the effect of raising the price dramatically for 1982 Bordeaux wines. Subscriptions to ''The Wine Advocate'' continued to grow and by 1998 had more than 45,000 subscribers from 35 countries.
In 2000, an online version of the magazine was introduced, eRobertParker.com, which expanded the publication beyond ''Wine Advocate'' content to include an interactive Bulletin Board managed by Mark Squires and many articles and features not available in the printed version. By 2012, subscribership had grown to about 50,000, with 80% of readers from in the United States.
[
]
Transformation in 2012–2013
, many changes were announced concerning the management and format of ''The Wine Advocate'' following the sale of a majority stake in the publication to investors from Singapore. A transition from print to fully on-line distribution was announced, to take effect before the end of 2013. The role of editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
went from Parker to Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Lisa Perrotti-Brown is a wine critic, author and Master of Wine based in Napa, California. She reviews the wines of Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Sonoma County for ''The Wine Advocate'' and RobertParker.com, the independent wine publication and websit ...
, a Singapore-based correspondent for the publication.[ A second editorial office was opened in Singapore.][
Following lead critic ]Antonio Galloni
Antonio Galloni is an American wine critic. He is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Vinous for which he is also the lead critic covering the wines of Bordeaux, California, Italy, and Champagne.
From 2006 to 2013, Galloni was a tas ...
's departure from The Wine Advocate in February 2013, three new critics were recruited adding to what Robert Parker called his "Dream Team". Jeb Dunnuck joined the publication on April 3, 2013, followed by Monica Larner
Monica Larner is a wine critic and author based in Rome. She is the Italian Reviewer for ''The Wine Advocate'' and eRobertParker.com, the bimonthly wine publication and website founded by wine critic, Robert Parker. She was selected in 2013 by Pa ...
and Luis Gutiérrez on April 23, 2013.
On 22 November 2019 it was announced that Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...
became the sole owner of The Wine Advocate.
Team of Reviewers
Starting in 2001, Parker started to delegate many of the world's wine regions to a team of critics.
Joe Czerwinski reviews the wines of Provence, the Rhône Valley (North and South), Languedoc-Roussillon, Australia and New Zealand.
Luis Gutiérrez (wine critic) covers the wines of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, the Jura and Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
Monica Larner
Monica Larner is a wine critic and author based in Rome. She is the Italian Reviewer for ''The Wine Advocate'' and eRobertParker.com, the bimonthly wine publication and website founded by wine critic, Robert Parker. She was selected in 2013 by Pa ...
is responsible for reviewing the wines of Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
William Kelley reviews the wines of Burgundy, Chablis, Beaujolais, Champagne, Madeira and English Sparkling Wine.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Lisa Perrotti-Brown is a wine critic, author and Master of Wine based in Napa, California. She reviews the wines of Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Sonoma County for ''The Wine Advocate'' and RobertParker.com, the independent wine publication and websit ...
, MW reviews the wines of Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, Napa Valley
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
and Sonoma County.
Stephan Reinhardt reviews the wines of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Alsace and Loire Valley
Erin Brooks reviews the wines of Oregon, Sonoma County and California Central Coast.
Anthony Mueller reviews the wines of Washington State and South Africa.
Liwen Hao covers Asia.
Mark Squires oversees the Mark Squires' Bulletin Board at RobertParker.com and reviews the wines of Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
Previous Wine Advocate critics include Pierre Rovani, Jeb Dunnuck, Daniel Thomases, Jay Miller and Antonio Galloni
Antonio Galloni is an American wine critic. He is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Vinous for which he is also the lead critic covering the wines of Bordeaux, California, Italy, and Champagne.
From 2006 to 2013, Galloni was a tas ...
.
Influence on the wine industry
While not the first American wine publication, nor the first to use a numerical wine ratings
A wine rating is a score assigned by one or more wine critics to a wine tasted as a summary of that critic's evaluation of that wine. A wine rating is therefore a subjective quality score, typically of a numerical nature, given to a specific bottl ...
scale, ''The Wine Advocate'' was the first to widely adopt the 50-100 point scale and use it as parallel to the American educational grading system. This system was familiar to Robert Parker's original target audience—the average American consumer—and provided a guideline for quantifying a wine's quality in a standardize format. Retailers have used ''The Wine Advocate's'' "Parker scores" to aggressively market wines with high scores. The scores have also become focal points for collectors and wine investors who purchase highly rated wines in the hopes that the Parker scores will increase the value of the wine.
Throughout various wine region
This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
s, most notably Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, ''The Wine Advocate'' early vintage evaluation-sampled while the wine is still in oak barrels
Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a v ...
—can have a dramatic effect on the eventual prices of all the region's wine upon their release.[Murphy, Linda, ''San Francisco Chronicle'' (October 21, 2004]
Robert Parker pops the corks on a dozen 100-point wines
/ref> Individual scores of wine can also affect whether or not distributors or retailers will order the wine to sell with some retailers refusing to order wine rated below 85 points.[Prial, Frank J., ''The New York Times'' (December 6, 1989]
/ref>
Wine Advocate Fund
''The Wine Advocate'' also operates ''The Wine Advocate Fund For Philanthropy'', a nonprofit organization that raises money primarily for cancer research. In 2008 the Fund hosted a $10,000 per plate charity dinner where the publication's 100-rated wines were served. In 2006 a similar dinner raised $1.3 million.[''Business Wire'' (June 6, 2006)]
/ref>
Criticisms
The influence of ''The Wine Advocate'' on the demand and commercial interest of wine has met with some criticism, with wineries being accused of making wines tailored to Parker's tastes. In the late 1980s, wine expert Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
noted that Parker and ''The Wine Advocate'' were "... in danger of controlling the international fine wine market". The subject of scoring of ''The Wine Advocate'' scoring has also been criticized by wine writers, such as Hugh Johnson, who stated that wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
and evaluation are intrinsically subjective, with the wine having the potential to dramatically change and evolve over time. ''The Wine Advocate'' publishes on the cover of every issues its philosophy that ''"...wine is no different from any consumer product. There are specific standards of quality that full time wine professionals recognize"''.
The effects of ''The Wine Advocate'' scores can be pronounced in the retail sphere, with wine rated above 90 points usually selling well while those even in the 85–89 range, which is rated "good to very good", are often ignored by consumers.
References
External links
''The Wine Advocate''
www.robertparker.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wine Advocate
1978 establishments in Maryland
Lifestyle magazines published in the United States
Bimonthly magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1978
Magazines published in Maryland
Mass media in Baltimore
Wine magazines