Parker feud, hope this is OK ?

Does David get 98 points? When did we start rating contributors? I guess I only get 86 points.

No way! That would make David a gloop monster - not so!

.... albeit 86 points would mean you were elegant, well-balanced and an understated star at the dinner table so maybe you're right on one count

regards

Ian

I wonder if this thread will still be going by the time I have grandchildren.

But don't think so somehow.

It has become very conventional...

Best regards,
Alex R.

Does David get 98 points? When did we start rating contributors? I guess I only get 86 points.

Well, at least you have upside potential.

Jenise, James is a fan of the Redskins, Eagles, Flyers, and Capitals. He has huge amounts of upside potential....and could realize it rapidly by switching allegiances.

[James Roscoe]

Does David get 98 points? When did we start rating contributors? I guess I only get 86 points.

Well, at least you have upside potential.

Jenise, James is a fan of the Redskins, Eagles, Flyers, and Capitals. He has huge amounts of upside potential....and could realize it rapidly by switching allegiances.

EXCUSE ME!!! Whose fans just threatened to kill MR. All-World Hockey? Get your terrorist Penguin fans in Guantanamo where they belong!

The silliness of the last threads inspires me to make a film. I'll call it "The Night of the Living Thread" subtitled of course "The Day the Living Decided to Eat the Already Dead". Please send contributions to any bank of your choice in Nigeria.

Well, at least you have upside potential.

Jenise, James is a fan of the Redskins, Eagles, Flyers, and Capitals. He has huge amounts of upside potential....and could realize it rapidly by switching allegiances.

EXCUSE ME!!! Whose fans just threatened to kill MR. All-World Hockey? Get your terrorist Penguin fans in Guantanamo where they belong!

James, I am confused. How does your reply address my original point? Or are you implicitly conceding my point?

Bump

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.winesofchile.org/article/87

This article sheds some serious light on everything.

[David M. Bueker]

Reads more like a promotional article.

"he likes to eat well, but often on these trips eager hosts ply him with enormous meals that leave him groggy and overfed." How can you be critical, fair and objective when you were just plied with a lovely meal by the producer ?

Why don’t you taste blind?
"It’s just not practical for the number of wines I taste per session. I taste by producer, and go through line by line, which is more efficient for making my notes." What is not practical about tasting blind ?

Not meaning to stir this up again, but I REALLY wish I could have cut and pasted the entire article, but I see someone did put the link in. I honestly do not see how anyone in this environment can be un-biased and/or fair.

This piece appears to be written by the Chilean Wine Board, as the link ends with "org" ?

Again, just my two cents, but a bit of re-inforcement of my earlier thoughts.

Linda

[James Roscoe]

Jenise, James is a fan of the Redskins, Eagles, Flyers, and Capitals. He has huge amounts of upside potential....and could realize it rapidly by switching allegiances.

EXCUSE ME!!! Whose fans just threatened to kill MR. All-World Hockey? Get your terrorist Penguin fans in Guantanamo where they belong! [/quote]

James, I am confused. How does your reply address my original point? Or are you implicitly conceding my point?[/quote]
Mike a Penguin's fan was investigated for issuing death threats to the Capital's star player. No doubt the reason for the Cap's pitiful play in game seven.

I am not sure who this would be a promotional piece for as it paints Miller in a very bad light.

He has confirmed the accuracy of the article, though, on eBob.

[David M. Bueker]

Just commenting on the writing style.

Reads more like a promotional article.

Yes, it is somewhat unfortunate, coming after the spat(s).

Am I correct in understanding that Parker has now blocked his sub-contractors from going on such (trade body funded) trips now? If so, then that's a timely defence for further criticism that this article will generate.

Although I accept that many wine writers / critics take such trips (and hence no reason to pile further agony onto Mr Miller), Parker does really need to work out a re-wording of his policy statement. For me the issue has always been about claiming one thing (paying one's own way + blind tasting), using it as a USP to reinforce the customer advocate image of WA, where the truth was often different. To be honest I'd have no issue with them if they declared where policy was relaxed as the context preamble to the tasting notes. Others may feel more strongly that the principle is wrong, which I can understand.

Still, I don't think I'm saying anything new, and the article just reinforces the image that had arisen. Is there much left to discuss? For me it's all about Parker re-establishing WA credibility by either ensuring his team stick to his stated policy, or to re-word that policy. That's all that's left on this IMO.

regards

Ian

Ian

A few new items are mentioned...550 wines tasted over 3 days? That seems like an awful lot, no?

He is tasting a new wine every 2-3 minutes over the course of an 8-10 hour day without stopping by that math.

He is tasting a new wine every 2-3 minutes over the course of an 8-10 hour day without stopping by that math.

Apart from for the odd tender morsel of smoked salmon to whet the appetite

Perhaps this figure is worth questioning with him direct on e-bob. It wouldn't be the first time a copy writer got their numbers wrong. Whatever the response it's ~ 3x the amount of wines my palate could reasonably cope with. So if he's even close to that number, he has a far sturdier palate than me.

regards

Ian

Ah....come on guys....cut the critics a bit of slack. Not speaking for any specific wine critic, but a well-experienced critic can taste 150 wines in a day, not every day for sure, but certainly at special occasions or tastings. Indeed tastings like that requires a enormous amount of focus and attention and at the end of such a day one is exhausted both mentally and physically.

Agreed that dining in the midst of such a tasting, except perhaps for a small snack, makes both life and tasting far more difficult. Also agreed that a full meal during a tasting is hardly in order.

Would you also believe that indeed 2 - 3 minutes is quite enough to taste a wine but that it then takes five-six times that long to write up each tasting note?

Best
Rogov

Daniel

Can it be done? Of course it can. When I go to Bordeaux, I plow through 200 wines in a day.

I think I tasted 50 wines with Nicolas Potel when I visited him.

Is it easy analyze 200 wines in a day and take diligent notes on them afterwards? For me, no. But I am not a professional with a big "S" on my shirt.

Would you also believe that indeed 2 - 3 minutes is quite enough to taste a wine but that it then takes five-six times that long to write up each tasting note?

Not surprising. Maybe that's why JM tastes and scores so much, but writes so little.

[David M. Bueker]

It is silly that this thread keeps being revived, but I do have to say that the idea that because you can't reliably take notes on 200 wines in a day, does not mean anything about someone else. Some folks might not be able to handle 1, while some few others can possibly handle 200 or more. We're not all the same, and the 1 and 200 likely represent the tails of the distribution.

I agree, it is funny this keeps being revived. Posner just can't get enough.

Is it easy (to) analyze 200 wines in a day and take diligent notes on them afterwards? For me, no. But I am not a professional with a big "S" on my shirt.

Easy? Not at all. At an exhibition such as Vinitaly, for example, tasting 150 wines in a single day nnd including a few "sanity breaks" takes intense concentration from eight in the morning until seven in the evening. And then figure another 25-30 hours of formalizing one's notes.

During a typical day at VinItaly for example, I might start day one with a tasting of 80-90 wines while seated comfortably at the stand of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino; take a light snack and coffee; move on to a tasting of some 20-30 wines at the stand of Antinori; a very light lunch (with beer), from there to visit three or four Piedmont producers whose wines are important to taste and at each of those to taste 10-15 wines. Return to my hotel after having politely refused invitations to dine at this or that winery's shooting match, to nap for an hour or so, to start working on those accursed tasting notes, at about ten p.m. to make my way to dinner (by this time I'm starving so I tend to eat heartily) and then, with luck a shower before falling asleep only to wake the next a.m. in order to be at the fairgrounds an hour before it officially opens to sneak in some early tastings.

The following day will start off with early morning visits to the stands of eight-ten wineries to taste with them, then on to another consortium, perhaps that of Chianti Classico or of one of the Piedmont groups.....etc, etc. etc....

Truth is though that although one would not want to live that way on a daily basis, when such occasions do arise they are both tremendously challenging and equally tremendously rewarding. Can one remain focused through all of this? Not every day, not every time and not every time you try. There have been those days when I realized that no way was I going to meet my schedule and simply took it easy, limiting my tastings to anywhere from 70-90 wines before calling it a day. One does have to monitor oneself. And after all, there is no shame in periodically admitting that "he who runs away today, lives to taste another day".

Best
Rogov

Scoring wines: does it measure up?
By Jamie Goode

Fundamental objections to numerical ratings of wines
Personally, I have several problems with the practice of wine scoring:

It doesn't have a basis in reality

http://www.wineanorak.com/score.htm

Here we go again........

With all due respect to Jamie Goode (for whom I do have respect), he contradicts himself, by saying that scoring has no basis in reality and then by saying that a score represents a particular critic's reaction to a given wine at a given time. Using myself as an example - the scores I give are based on my realities. Those that wish to take Goode's or my own advice, will have to decide whether our tasting notes and scores are in tune with their realities. (and keep in mind that scores are nothing more than two and sometimes three digits at the end of a tasting note)

Dammit.....didn't I take a New Year's resolution not to discuss the pros and cons of scores during the year 2009?

Best
Rogov

Dammit.....didn't I take a New Year's resolution not to discuss the pros and cons of scores during the year 2009?
Best
Rogov

Yes indeed - put a screwcap over it Rogov
regards
Ian