October 11th: Todd Responds
Adam,
I have been too busy trying to run this ship.
But I haven't forgotten about our interchange.
To be brief - you had a good point. One that I have taken to heart. The reality of this business is I would be stupid to ignore critics. And I do think that those who have longevity (Parker, Tanzer, etc) and built a solid reputation can be valuable tools for consumers.
But I think I have grown too reliant sometimes. You haven't seen all of the emails I have been sending, but I am forwarding one I recently sent that encapsulates how I am trying to revise my buying and selling.
Thank you for speaking up. I appreciate it. Truly.
Thanks
Todd Wielar October 12th: Adam Responds
Hey Todd,
First things first: If I had any money right now, I would ask you to hold for me a magnum of the Mordoree Lirac. [Todd's most recent weekly email offered a limited number of these, first-come- first-served.] If there are any left after that offer passes, would you let me know? Maybe I'll manage to sock away some tip money.
And: I appreciate your email, and especially your taking the time to deal with mine. I wasn't trying to offend. I just wanted to say that again. I certainly got carried away with my response, but perhaps sometimes overstatement is the only way to get attention in this overstated world. Also I appreciated your updated take on Parker: you point out in the email you forwarded to me, very rightly, that it's hard for, say, a restrained, elegant little Chorey-les-Beaune to compete for high scores next to a Margaux or a big fat super-Tuscan. Which is to say that sometimes, under the scoring system, wines get punished for failing to be something they clearly aren't trying to be, and couldn't be anyway if they tried. I really like Muscadet, but there's no way a Muscadet is ever going to score 96 points, even if it's the best Muscadet ever made. Unfortunately, wines don't get to be measured on their own terms.
But you're right: you are running a business, and critical ratings are valuable, essential tools for helping customers get a grip on what is increasingly an oversupply of wine from all over the world. I involve myself in wine for a living, too -- not to the extent you do, but I do pay pretty close attention to what's going on out there -- and *I* feel overwhelmed. I can't imagine walking into a wine store with little or no knowledge and trying to shop without help. That's why you're good at your business: you bridge that gap for people, and you're relying partially on experts, which you should.
I just think the big ones -- Parker et al -- have to be used cautiously. No doubt, when it comes to Zins, Aussie Shiraz, and Argentian Malbecs, Parker, Wine Spectator, Tanzer, and other bigger names are the ones I go by, because wines like that are their milieu. I just get alarmed when all wines are judged by those standards.
(Strange aside: did you know that Parker is on record as saying that his favorite wines to drink for pleasure are old Burgundies?)
(Less strange aside: I don't know if you ever read Neal Martin, on wine-journal.com, but he writes very well, especially about Bordeaux, about which he has expert knowledge and vintage ratings that go back decades. He also has copious notes about Burgundy and Rhone, and effused about the 2003 vintage of that Mordoree Lirac.) [n.b. In November, Martin was hired to write for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (!).]
Thanks again, and I'll see you soon, especially if I decide to spring for that Lirac!
- Adam
W(h)ine Wars, Part Three:
Postscript, or It's On Again.
