Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

This dropped from His Holiness today:

"I am also very excited to announce a new lifestyle magazine called "100 Points by Robert Parker." Separate and apart from TWA,it will accept non-wine related advertising.We are thrilled to be partnering/teaming with BURDA,a leading media house with global reach, and a keen understanding of our need to maintain the independence that is paramount and at the core of TWA name and credibility.That is an essential prerequisite to the continuation of our independence and reliable ability to offer intelligent and well-reasoned judgements free of external influence. 100 Points will launch in early summer."

Could he be trying any harder to make himself look foolish as he rides into the sunset?

Well, the Wine Spectator has been a "lifestyle" magazine for quite some time.

The very title of this new magazine is indeed offputting...

But I don't think it is by any means a shot in the dark. The sorts of people who lust after 100 point Parker wines probably need to be advised of other ways to spend their money.

Personally, I can do w/o such advice....

Alex R.

He has completely lost it.

I'm waiting for his launch of Blunt Aficionado.

Champagne when I'm thirsty
Reefer when I want to get high
Muddy Waters

Clearly an attempt to further monetize the Parker reputation. The sold out mega-tastings in Asia are evidence that his name is still a draw, even if his reputation with many of us who followed him in the '80s and '90s is shot. I can understand why the new owners would do this. After spending millions to buy the Wine Advocate, they want to see some return on their investment.

I wonder if Parker has an ownership interest in the new venture. Either way, he's at the end of his career and I don't begrudge him the desire to cash out. While it's sad to see the direction this has taken, I still wish him success. I learned a lot from the guy back in the day and enjoyed his hospitality on a couple of occasions. He was very personable, not at all like the online persona he's become in the face of growing criticism.

Lifestyle mags are not my thing, and even if they were I don't think I'd be interested in what Parker had to say about non-vinous luxury goods. I wonder who they'll get to write for this venture.

When I think of our German publishing company BURDA, everything occurs to me, but nothing, absolutely nothing, what anything has to do with intelligence...

It's Parker's fetishization of commodities -- whether wine, cigars, restaurants, watches, motorcycles or what have you -- that disturbs me the most (and the "100 point" concept is the most extreme form imaginable of commodity fetishization), for two reasons. First, it demonstrably inflates the prices not only of the "100-pointers" but also the tier below that, pushing those commodities out of reach of many ordinary consumers. Second, there's just something intrinsically distasteful and sad about coveting something (whether wine or a motorcycle) because someone else says it's "perfect" or "the best in the world" (or, in Parker's case with 2009 bordeaux, one of only 22 magically perfect, once-in-a-lifetime, could-not-possibly-be-better wines). Wine and most of the other things likely to be reviewed by Parker's new magazine are objects to enjoy consuming/experiencing with friends and family. Sure, most of us look forward to the occasional transcendent wine experience, but for me it's always related to the company I'm with and sometimes the meal I'm eating. It's not pleasure from owning or having consumed what someone else says is a "100 point" bottle. Part of me hopes Parker is doing this for the money -- that he's chronically mismanaged his finances and is desperate for retirement cash. Because this, along with some of his other behavior over the past few years, is really degrading his reputation and legacy. A very strange way for someone who claims he's a "consumer advocate" in the vein of Ralph Nader to ride into the sunset...

pomilion wrote:It's Parker's fetishization of commodities -- whether wine, cigars, restaurants, watches, motorcycles or what have you -- that disturbs me the most (and the "100 point" concept is the most extreme form imaginable of commodity fetishization), for two reasons. First, it demonstrably inflates the prices not only of the "100-pointers" but also the tier below that, pushing those commodities out of reach of many ordinary consumers. Second, there's just something intrinsically distasteful and sad about coveting something (whether wine or a motorcycle) because someone else says it's "perfect" or "the best in the world" (or, in Parker's case with 2009 bordeaux, one of only 22 magically perfect, once-in-a-lifetime, could-not-possibly-be-better wines). Wine (or motorcycles or cigars) is something to enjoy consuming with friends and family. Sure, most of us look forward to the occasional transcendent wine experience, but for me it's always related to the company I'm with and sometimes the meal I'm eating. It's not pleasure from owning or having consumed a "100 point" bottle. Part of me hopes Parker is doing this for the money -- that he's chronically mismanaged his finances and is desperate for retirement cash. Because this, along with some of his other behavior over the past few years, is really degrading his reputation and legacy. A very strange way for someone who claims he's a "consumer advocate" in the vein of Ralph Nader to ride into the sunset...

Well said.
What I like about music is you can either play or not play.
You enjoy a song or you don't
And when you are playing you are in the moment and enjoying life.

Sweet, I just purchased a two year subscription!....comes with a free guide on how to score anything up to 100points! Time to get on board guys!! blech

This topic just suggests way too many pithy comments, so I'll try to focus on just a couple. First, RP has to have front-run his recco's to an 8-figure cellar by now, so cashing out is just gilding the lily as far as I can figure. Maybe he's pulling a Mondavi and collecting the estate tax money ahead of time?

Second, with my limited personal knowledge of the man, I would assume that the creation of the magazine did not require his approval but getting his back-end payments did require his enthusiastic support thereof. Given that, I cant imagine that Bob thinks it's a good idea.

Interesting. Will there be an English-language version?