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WINE CRITICS The life of a wine critic can be fun, but it may not be the bed of roses that outsiders believe it to be. While there is a handful of internationally acclaimed critics whose names are familiar wherever wine is drunk, the majority only enjoy a reputation within communities and regions. But how reliable are they at guiding consumers to the best buys, and helping them enjoy wine more than they might otherwise? WORDS ANDREW J LINN
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pain’s José Peñin has held the top spot for 45 years. He publishes the annual Peñin Guide, and out of respect there is very little serious competition at a national level, although Victor de la Serna, Isabel Muñoz and Fernando Point have kept him on his toes with their regular wine column in daily newspaper El Mundo. Now Peñin has taken the trade’s euro, as it were, and has thrown in his lot with Casa Gourmet, a member’s online wine and food club, in order to recommend their offerings.
228 / APRIL 2022 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE
Will this affect his judgement? Only time will tell, but very soon he will surely find himself in a situation whereby he has to choose between two wines, one peddled by the club and the other having no relationship with it – and tell his readers which is the better buy. British wine critic Jancis Robinson sold her website, or her business, in 2017. Of all UK critics, perhaps Robinson has demonstrated best that a solitary wine writer can, with business savvy, convert wine criticism into a profitable
enterprise. Maybe this is why she was awarded an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2003. She advises on the royal wine cellar and has published over 20 books while maintaining a column in the Financial Times. Another excellent UK-based wine writer is Neal Martin, who began writing an independent website, wine-journal.com, that quickly acquired over 100,000 readers. In 2006, he joined The Wine Advocate as a reviewer, until 2017 when he left for Vinous, a new publication.
