Wine Bloggers Have No Credibility
Now that I have your attention, allow me to pose a question to you: what is this credibility problem with wine bloggers that everyone seems to be talking about? I’m asking because I know of very few instances of wine bloggers seriously doing anything “un-credible”, and even less of them doing anything “incredible”. Our strength comes from our numbers and the fact that we are all wine drinkers who have today a platform to share out thoughts, not because as individuals, we’re doing anything THAT amazing. With over 1,000 wine blogs updating at regular intervals, only about 10 draw any interest for me personally. These 10 blogs talk about wines I can purchase, issues that matter to me, and display good, solid ethics. There are no Robert Parkers of the wine blogging world, and most likely, there never will be. There are too many of us, with too many voices, and we are all too damn independent.
If a journalist like Jason Blair plagiarizes, should we say that all journalists are plagiarizers? If a wine journalist takes money from a winery for consulting, do we say that all wine journalism is corrupt?
I think the answer is “no” to both.
So why do so people, many of which I once respected, say such silly things?
…and of course,and bloggers can’t continue to exist without wine-related advertising(we do and will continue to do so)…(read full thread here)
This comment comes from a man I very much respect(ed), and makes me sad to read. No research went into this comment, only emotion. No objectivity or fact-checking, just a snide remark. Robert Parker, please have a little more respect for other wine journalists and do some research before making such silly statements. I’m sure there are a few blogs, though I know of none myself, that take direct money from wineries, but this is not the trend. On the other hand, Decanter, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and others would all fail to exist without wine related advertising. Should they get lumped in with the “blobbers” as you call us?
Where have we lost our credibility? Was it the scandal with Wine Spectators awards last year where an individual started a blog (one post) to perpetrate his hoax? Or was there something else?
Seriously fellow wine bloggers, I want to know, what did we do? Or is it just that we exist? A percieved threat to the wine publishing industry?
In 1975, Robert Parker started his little wine journal to inform consumers on how to make better wine choices based on unbiased reviews. Today, this is not a problem anymore. If being unbiased is the crux of the issue, since being biased would lead to people wasting money on wines that are no good, then I want to find some consumers who were duped into buying bad wine by unscrupulous wine bloggers. Please tell me, who are the ones suffering? I, as a wine blogger, wish to apologize to them. Tell me wine public, where have you been led wrong? When was the last time your meal was corrupted by bad wine blogger information? Dinners tainted with shame as your guests looked at you with pity for your choice in Cabernet?
Thirty years ago, this was a real issue. There was no critic with an independent voice, and lots of bad, undrinkable wine. Today, we have some may say a glut of independent voices and no more emperors(or not for much longer), who recommend wine, that while often uninspiring, is often still drinkable. So maybe this is just a case of those with power feeling left out? Or having their power diminished? I don’t know.
As consumers, we now have a voice. Sometimes uneducated, sometimes biased, but we are the wine drinkers. We’re the ones buying wine for dinner, in the grocery store, wine shop or online. Together, our voices are loud, though I hardly think that we’re the ones destroying the wine world. We’re not hurting anyone.
What do you think?
Ryan Opaz – Wine Blogger corrupted by his own taste
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=ee760d79-b7bc-4668-9610-21b0e0143191)
Wineblogger.info was created by Catavino.net as a way to collate and track the many diverse and varied wine blogs. This project is open to offers of collaboration, suggestions as to how to improve and feedback of all sorts. As always, you can 
Subscribe
April 24th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Time will tell, the public will choose…
April 24th, 2009 at 7:06 am
It's clear that the established print wine writers (among others) feel threatened by new ways of communicating information. Because the barrier to entry is so low (anyone can set up a blog, anyone can use Facebook and Twitter), there are many people doing the job that only a few did earlier.
As with any industry, there are good and bad players. The established writers see their influence waning and are trying to hold on for as long as they can. But the better writers wherever they are and whatever medium they use will become more influential, and the lesser ones will fail.
What is interesting is this exact same thing happened years ago. At one time, the only way to find good wine was to ask your local merchant. Then wine magazines and newsletters started to appear, and people could decide what wines they wanted before they entered a wine shop.
Even Robert Parker displaced someone else. Before the Wine Advocate, there was a newsletter by Robert Finnegan. When Robert Parker praised the 1982 Bordeaux and Finnegan disparaged it, people paid more attention to the Advocate and Robert Parker's influence soared.
Whole industries can disappear almost overnight as new technology makes them redundant. Laws can be passed and contracts written to slow down the advance of something new, but it only delays the inevitable.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Honestly Ryan, i believe that the issue here is the threat that bloggers mean to this so called wine critics. We know that to be independent is the main thing and possibly the common characteristic among wine (and other) bloggers… So the freedom of making our comments about some wine we BOUGHT somewhere, is something amazing for us wine lovers! Its too bad that people like this critic don´t understand the final goal of blogging, and for me that only show one thing, they are feeling exceeded by the reality of the wine industry! Keep bringing us all your comments and tasting notes! And remember like Pink Floyd say´s “Together we stand, devided we fall…”
April 24th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Well done!
Time for those in traditional media to bring forth their evidence.
April 24th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
If anything, wine bloggers have created a democratic platform to discuss and review wines with little or no influence from advertisers. Suddenly, the current publications now have to deal with consumers and bloggers to justify their reviews on wines that were once followed blindly – no more!
As a specialty wine importer, I'm confident enough of my experienced palate and knowledge of my markets that I make my own choices, independent of these journals' reviews.
Leo J. Baduria
Wine Importer, Distributor and Blogger.
April 25th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Great post.
As a “long-time wine drinker and a short-time wine blogger”, it seems like there is a lot of bruised egos and high emotion. Clearly that was evident in the Robert Parker comment strings and the blogger responses.
However, it obscures the real issue: ethics. I’m not proposing that everyone follow the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics (hell, even professional journalists have difficulty adhering to the standards). But I think as writers talking about a consumer product, we need to be open about the origin of the products we’re talking about. Otherwise it raises the specter of being undisclosed paid promotional pitchmen.
Thanks again, keep up the good writing.
Cheers!
April 26th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Ryan, it saddens me deeply to read this. I try hard everytime to be as open and candid as possible. I note down when I have received a bottle or when I bought one. I go to tastings, paid for or free for all, and try to write objectively. I really think that is all we can do: be open about the background of the wine received and the venue attended.
I document my articles as best as possible, and always state clearly that it is MY opinion, never present my own experiences as facts (or try not to).
Luckily, I get credit for that from a lot of people, so I will continue in the best way I can.
No, we are not hurting anyone, is my opinion, we are helping people try to find their own voice on wine, be a little more confident on what they like and don't like. For me, that's enough.