When you buy a bottle of wine from a bottle store, do you ever think about wine critics and what they have to say? Probably not.
Perhaps you look at the bottle for little stickers proclaiming awards. But unless you know what those awards represent, they don’t tell you very much. Then there are the round stickers announcing that a wine is particularly good, although they have nothing to do with awards. They can look rather like medals of distinction without actually being awards at all. Can you believe it?
But let’s get on to wine critics.
Where they really matter is in the wine industry itself. I recently heard a winemaker talking about a particular wine farm in the Cape. She said that once the American critic Robert M. Parker Jr. had reviewed the estate’s wines, the farm no longer had to worry about sales. They rocketed.
Of course, getting the attention of a critic of Parker’s standing is no small achievement. His reputation was built over decades, and his verdicts could have a remarkable effect on the fortunes of wine producers. He helped popularise the 100-point scoring system, which became an influential means of evaluating and marketing wine internationally.
Parker retired from The Wine Advocate in 2019, but his influence on the wine trade remains part of its history.
Another name familiar to anyone following international wine criticism is Jancis Robinson, the British wine writer and Financial Times columnist. She is one of the most respected figures in the field. Here in South Africa, British Master of Wine Tim Atkin has become an influential voice through his annual reports on our wine industry. His assessments of local producers attract considerable attention, including from overseas buyers.
South Africa has its own established critics, too. Michael Fridjhon, a veteran wine writer, judge and commentator, has long been a leading authority on the local industry. Christian Eedes, editor of Winemag.co.za, also plays an important role in evaluating South African wines and reporting on the producers behind them.
These are people whose opinions can influence reputations, prices and export sales. Their work matters to wine farms, distributors, retailers and serious collectors.
But how many ordinary wine drinkers follow their recommendations?
For most people, I suspect, choosing wine is a much more personal business. They might discover that they like Chardonnay, for example, find a producer whose wines suit their taste and stick with it. There’s nothing wrong with that. Why change something you enjoy?
Others prefer to experiment. I’m doing that myself at the moment, moving away from the safe and steady Merlot to explore other reds, including Pinot Noir and Syrah. I’ve also worked my way through Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
But experimentation can become an expensive business. At the wine tasting on Wednesday evening, the wines ranged in price from R338 to R413 a bottle. Six bottles at R400 each would cost R2,400 for a case. That’s a considerable sum to spend on wine, particularly if you’re not entirely sure what you’re getting.
At those prices, you really need to know what you’re doing. Or perhaps you need to be prepared to take a chance.
Buying expensive wine is a little like buying a painting. How do you decide what a painting is worth? Is it the quality of the artwork, the reputation of the artist, the period in which it was produced or simply what somebody is prepared to pay for it?
Much the same questions apply to wine. The producer’s reputation, the quality of the vintage, the opinions of critics and the perceived scarcity of a particular bottle can all influence its price. But none of these guarantees that you will enjoy drinking it.
Taste is personal. A wine that earns glowing reviews and a near-perfect score might leave you cold, while a less celebrated bottle could turn out to be just what you wanted.
Wine critics undoubtedly wield considerable influence in the industry. Their opinions can help make or break reputations, open export markets and persuade buyers to pay more for particular wines.
But when it comes to the average wine drinker, many people probably don’t know who these critics are, let alone read their reviews before heading to the bottle store.
Perhaps that’s just as well. After all, we’re the ones who have to drink the wine.
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