Because yesterday I predicted my ascension to the top of the wine writer and critic world, I figured that today I should share with you why Robert Parker will be forced to abdicate that throne.
Without a doubt, Robert Parker Jr. is the most famous wine critic in the world today, but is his influence with the current generation of up and coming wine drinkers waning? Most of the Gen-Y members, also known as Millennials, were not yet born when the 1982 Bordeaux vintage that made Parker famous hit the market. Fewer still have tasted wines from this vintage, and, fewer still are buying the remaining bottles from this vintage when they come up at auctions. True, the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux was just the jumping off point for Parker and his fame in the wine world, and in the 20+ years since, his impact on the wine industry has been unmatched, but as the wine industry is noticing, this next generation of wine drinkers is shaking the market up. For many people, value is replacing brand image, and experimentation is replacing the comfort of familiar names. Because of these trends, started by the Millennials and reinforced by the current recession, the familiar Parker 100 point scale is taking a back seat of sorts to value and experimentation.
It is not my aim to overlook the significant impact that Robert Parker has had on the wine industry, but rather to highlight the extenuating circumstances in the industry that, I believe, will lead to his decline in popularity and influence within the next generation of wine drinkers. For starters, the deck is stacked against Parker. Free choice, varying opinions and taste, and thousands of available options can lead to the downfall of a single, albeit iconic, opinion. The internet and proliferation of opinions from all corners of the globe via wine blogs (like this one), merchants, and casual drinkers are providing a more balanced and holistic view of wines than the world has ever known. Parker is now a fish, a large fish albeit, in an ocean of opinion. And, being internet savvy and always on the hunt for the next big thing, the Millennial generation drinkers are moving beyond just one opinion and taking hundreds of opinions into account when they purchase wine. Varied options are the next strike against Parker. With the widespread use of internet wine purchasing and distribution channels that are more efficient than ever, the consumers are presented with more varietals from more different countries than ever before. South Africa, Ocenania, South America, Europe, Asia, and all corners of the United States are represented on grocery store shelves all across the country and this is just in typical markets. Wine specialty stores raise the bar even higher. The average consumer can develop a taste for Malbec from Argentina, Pinotage from South Africa, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Shiraz from Australia, Riesling from New York, Bordeaux from France, Rioja from Spain, Barbera from Italy, and be left with the comfortable Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons from California, all without breaking the bank and without travelling far and wide to find their preferred varietals. Even by trying 10,000 wines a year, Robert Parker has no way of keeping up with the global market, and with these 10,000 opinions each year, Parker’s tastes are unlikely to match up with a consumer eager to try a variety of new wines from promising producers around the world. Wine is becoming an adventure, and a beverage through which people can travel across the world while sitting at home. This is an aspect of wine that Millennials are finding intriguing, and is something that has changed the wine industry in the recent years as some of the prolific wines producing nations have upped the quality of their products. Finally, and most importantly to my generation is the aspect of free choice. We millennials are much more likely to go against the traditions set in stone by traditionalists in the wine industry. Our generation has consistently proven that we are willing to blaze our own path and stick with what we like, not what we are told to like.
The current recession is also playing into Parker’s downfall. His influence was so great that a 90+ rating by him could be the difference in a $50 and $100 dollar bottle of wine. With value being the name of the game currently, consumers both young and old are looking for wines they enjoy at prices they can afford. There is, and will always be, the prestige factor in the wine industry, but it is unlikely that it will ever regain its prominence of the boom years of the 1990s and early 2000s. The pleasure factor and affordability are weighing in on customers more and more. This is seen in the fact that last year, Americans bought more wine, but at lower prices. The Parker price leap may still have an impact, but to a lesser scale.
Perhaps most significantly, Robert Parker is not making a substantial effort to bring himself into the next generation of communication. He does not have an official facebook page, he does not hold a twitter account (that I could identify on both accounts), and while there is a website titled “eRobertParker,” it is not what the next wave of wine buyers will be looking for. WineSpectator.com and eRobertParker offer great websites, but they are subscription based. Twitter and Facebook can accomplish many of the same things that these websites can, but without the monthly dues. Furthermore, Twitter and Facebook are sites that most users check every day without fail, giving them the advantage of the higher user traffic.
Is it possible for Robert Parker to take several relatively simple steps to ensure that he keeps his throne atop the wine world? Of course, but just playing devil’s advocate, the deck seems to be starting to stack against him. We are in for drastic changes in the wine industry in the coming years, and Parker’s downfall could very well be a part of those changes.
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