Wine writers without balls?
Monday 30 May
An article by former Decanter staffer, Olly Styles, on his no-holds barred website wine life has prompted me to write an article regarding his comments on the state of wine journalism.
In his column he says: “One thing is pretty damned clear however: wine writers lack balls. We all do. Perhaps it’s because the wine world is so small and any negative comments made about a wine invariably return to haunt the writer (this generally involves an importer shouting and gesticulating in your face during a trade show – and that’s only when they think your score of 17/20 was too harsh).”
I agree.
First of all, do wine writers lack balls? While I hope the women do, the lack of opinion can be frightening. Regurgitating press releases and trying to please everyone was not part of good journalism last time I looked.
I have been told by several members of the New Zealand wine industry that I should not write critical things about the industry because it is small and I will get black balled. Hence why there are so many cheerleaders, afraid of being critical as they might not get flown to an all-expenses paid trip to a winery next year or God forbid, miss out on a free lunch. At a Jacob’s Creek launch, one writer told me she didn’t like the wines but had never been to the restaurant before and had come for the food! I almost choked on my canape.
In a recent column regarding lightweight bottles (or lack of them) in New Zealand, there was a backlash. Feathers were ruffled but the industry started to talk about the issue and consumers realised that heavy glass bottles might not be such a good idea.
I have also been told not to publish an article after interviewing a Kiwi winemaker and then being told that what I was told was ‘in winery confidence’. What did you think I was doing asking questions and writing down your answers? It certainly was not for the good of my health. There’s a thing called off the record which we journos respect but not if you freely tell us information on the record then back track.
Integrity is a key trait for journalists but I am not sure if it is universal. Recently, a New Zealand winery, who shall remain unnamed, sent samples for tasting and a member of the winery team emailed to say: “I’m sure x would be over the moon to have the editorial dedicated to her new range! Perhaps a wee wine bribe could be offered to ensure this?”
Members of the wine writing community need to be more professional if we are not to be tarred with one brush - and a bit more ballsy.
As amusing as Olly Styles is, you have to realise that he writes to seek attention and so his claims and points are often amplified.
Still he has a point about writers and critics and the apparent paucity of wine writers who are prepared to put the boot in.
I get the impression as an outsider, that professional wine writers would prefer to remain in the tent as it were. ie on good terms with the industry and the personalities. This presumably has an influence on what is said.
- by Edward
I’ve found myself reading wine reviews less and less as time goes by, basically because I know the review will ‘inevitably’ be positive, and ‘probably’ not contain any useful (for me!) information, ie specific details on grapegrowing and winemaking. It will also probably contain adjectives and descriptions that are meaningless to an average winedrinker (though no doubt correct and interesting to an experienced taster).
There’s always the suspicion, as you and Oliver say, that some some cuddling up is going on.
From the winery’s point of view I can only imagine or guess (as no-one has ever interviewed me or reviewed my wines): the risk of getting a bad review could have an impact on sales and on reputation/name, even if the wine really is good and known to be good. Once something gets into print, it sort of becomes “truth” and there’s no way to undo the damage. I don’t know how significant that risk is though, especially as bad reviews never seem to get published!!!
- by Fabio, Madrid
Sadly the world is full of people without balls.
- by Feudi, Greco di Tufo
Rebecca I think abnormally heightened sensitivity to criticism goes with the job. Not just winemakers..I have seen
winewriters throw hissy fits.Silent spats between warring wordsmiths are commonplace. All comment is subjective and therefore open to debate.No matter how experienced and “qualified” the commentator (winemaker or writer)
I suggest we remember this wine we are talking about not cardio-vascular surgery.
- by Judy Finn, Neudorf, New Zealand
I’ve been in Britain since January this year and to me the wine writer field is like a phenomenon, so particular to Britain, I know it is an activity elsewhere, but here so crowded.
Juel Mahoney’s observation of a tenuous link to the public would be no surprise to me. It is difficult to escape the impression that in practise wine writing is, by and large, conducted by the trade and is read by the trade. I imagine that is not the intention, it should be to the public, no, but it certainly appears to be so. This is particularly true of Twitter, where it seems like 90% of what is tweeted is between the trade, and so mundane.
Nevertheless, I would say there is probably an unwritten consensus on who are the more investigative wine writers doing interesting work, the rest may well be kept going basically by the trade.
The market is in a phase that is more reactionary to demand and innovative at a marketing level, i.e. selling those wines that are in the market, than creative as with the styles and wines pioneered here before, Pomerol, Australia, Sherry and more because it’s saturated.
For me a case in point is Spain. For at least 3 years the trade press has consistently endorsed all that is new and dynamic about the country, with its ongoing limitations, areas where more work is needed, but overall greatly encouraging. Yet this has equally consistently not translated into buyers determining to create the market and take some risk in bringing new wines and styles from Spain to Britain.
Whereas there is no suggestion that wine writers bare the work of creating the market, presumably the role exists for some kind of function beyond appraising a wine. The reason their work does not feed into the market overall – at least as far as Spain’s concerned - has to be that their words are not in fact reaching the public in a way that corresponds to the amount written and for so long.
For example in Spain, all focus is on the Bierzo region and its Mencia grape, the Godello grape or Tierra de Leon and its Prieto Picudo, white Rioja, Garnachas. Yet there is no mention of Ribeira Sacra, an elegant Mencia right next door to Bierzo and terroir for the taking, the whites of Xarel.lo, Penedes or Valles de Benavente, where the best Prieto Picudo producer is located.
The reason would seem that there is a little bit of investigate wine writing and the rest literally does the rounds among the trade. Everyone speaks about Bierzo, Godello and the rest because no-one else has actually been to farther abroad in Spain. It’s simply picking up on what one or two writers have already said. How else could we account for not doing so for equally new and interesting regions and grapes, often right next door.
- by James Swann, Ditton Wine Traders, London
This is why I rarely read wine reviews, and truly do not trust them. Fortunately, I have a very good friend who is a chef, well-versed in wines, and who knows my tastes - it’s her that I call up from the wine shop with “I’m having <blah> for dinner - what do I want to go with it?” and who I trust to introduce me to new things. Rarely ahve I picked up a bottle based on a review - and never without consulting her first!
- by Indrani Mahadeo, Canada