Will Wine Retailing Change When Mr. Parker Retires?
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:31 am
All,
I'm wondering if/how wine retailing (particularly in the US) will change as Mr. Parker exits the scene. I noticed in my area that 20-25 years ago (when I was first buying good wine) there were some/many very knowledgeable people at the retail level of the wine business but as Parker and others gained momentum things changed. Today, more often than not you see wine sales people who have no real knowledge/appreciation of wine but who can tell you the Parker score of every wine they have. It sort of reminds me of the scene in the first Jurassic Park movie where Jeff Goldblum’s character says something like “it didn't require any discipline to attain your knowledge. You read what others had done. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves”.
Do you think Parker’s retirement and (in my opinion) less value being placed on scores will have an impact on wine retailing over the next 5-10 years? If so, how?
I'm wondering if/how wine retailing (particularly in the US) will change as Mr. Parker exits the scene. I noticed in my area that 20-25 years ago (when I was first buying good wine) there were some/many very knowledgeable people at the retail level of the wine business but as Parker and others gained momentum things changed. Today, more often than not you see wine sales people who have no real knowledge/appreciation of wine but who can tell you the Parker score of every wine they have. It sort of reminds me of the scene in the first Jurassic Park movie where Jeff Goldblum’s character says something like “it didn't require any discipline to attain your knowledge. You read what others had done. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves”.
Do you think Parker’s retirement and (in my opinion) less value being placed on scores will have an impact on wine retailing over the next 5-10 years? If so, how?