Wine critics wines

[Andy Lynes]

(I don't think this issue has been raised before but I apologise if I am treading old ground here).

Jilly Goolden is a well know "wine personality" in the UK, best known for her consumer advise slots on a BBC programme "Food and Drink". She has now launched her own range of wines called "Keynote", and was interviewed on the BBC Radio 2 Jonathan Ross programme this Saturday, which was basically an extended advert for her product with full details of where to buy it.

Goolden is not the first UK wine critic to move into the production side of things. Malcom Gluck of "Superplonk" Guardian magazine column fame has had his own "Superplonk" label wine on the supermarket shelves for a while now.

I think there is a clear conflict of interest here, with critics trading off the trust gained from the wine buying public from their reputation as an independent consumer advocate. Is this a UK only phenomenom, or have US critics done the same thing? Do others see this as a problem or is it a harmless bit of commercial enterprise?

[Beachfan]

Parker has his own label of Oregon Pinot Noir, Beaux Freres. He never comments on it, as a matter of policy. His name does not appear on the label. As soon as there is economic interest in the products reviewed, the reviewer is not impartial.

I think it is possible to keep the two separate, and avoid the conflict. It doesn't sound like that's happening with the touters you mention.

[Charles Smith]

Parker has his own label of Oregon Pinot Noir, Beaux Freres.  He never comments on it, as a matter of policy.

he's a part owner, along with his brother in law (who makes the wines), and someone else (not-wine related). It's interesting, b/c to my taste, these wines reflect RP's desires for extraction and power in all wines.

[AdamLawrence]

I confess to being a little wary of crits - or even former crits - plugging wine, but it's as well to get things in perspective. Does Jilly Goolden still do wine crit anywhere? She certainly hasn't been on Food and Drink for several years, and she doesn't appear in any paper I ever read. The Superplonk thing is more complex. Gluck takes care never to plug his wine, but he has, over the years, forged a fairly singular image, and the Superplonk name is both the title of his column in the Grauniad, his web site, and his wine. Personally I think there is an issue there; Gluck would say that he never reviews his wine, and he doesn't not review or mark down any other wine because of any perceived competition, so where's the problem? Me, I'm not convinced. But then I probably wouldn't buy the wine anyway, because it's a Tesco-only thing, and I don't shop in Tesco.

Adam

[blackduff]

I can't imagine anyone serious about wine, listening to anything Jilly Goolden has to say. What a load of rubbish!

BlackDuff

[Winot]

Malcom Gluck of "Superplonk" Guardian magazine column fame has had his own "Superplonk" label wine on the supermarket shelves for a while now.  

I think there is a clear conflict of interest here, with critics trading off the trust gained from the wine buying public from their reputation as an independent consumer advocate.

Andy,

Agreed.

See the Guardian link for more on this. Note that he apparently donates the Superplonk income to charity.

W.

Edited December 17, 2002 by Winot (log)

[Tonyfinch]

In Saturday's Times Jane Maquitty concluded her top 100 Winter wines with a selection of 20 which cost more than £10.50. It was odd that several of the 10 reds all came from the same wine merchants (Headley Wright?) who I,for one, have never heard of.

This begs the questions of how widely could she have tasted and whether she has a particular reason for pushing this particular merchant's wines.

She did not declare an interest and she may well have none, but how much credibility can her list have when the range tried is apparently so narrow?

[Andy Lynes]

Does Jilly Goolden still do wine crit anywhere? She certainly hasn't been on Food and Drink for several years, and she doesn't appear in any paper I ever read.

According tothis she writes fro the Express. However, I don't know how up to date it is and i wouldn't wipe my arse with the Express so have no personal knowledge of whether she still has a column or not. He profile does seem to be lower now that a few years ago though.