I have been meaning to write about the Wine Advocate Spanish wine ‘scandal’ for some time now. It’s possible that you might not even be aware of what’s been going on, but over the last year or so there has been many a libelous accusation flying about, bismerching the integrity of Mr Robert Parker’s beloved publication.

The problem really began when the number of wine regions covered by this most famous publication became simply too big for one single palate to handle. The solution, in the case of Spain, was to delegate responsibility for the tastings to Mr Parker’s personal friend and colleague, Jay Miller. When you consider the considerable influence wielded by the Wine Advocate around the world it was perhaps a slightly puzzling choice when you consider that Jay Miller had only limited professional experience and had never set foot in Spain in his life!

Armed only with this limited experience Mr Miller enlisted the help of Spain’s only MW, Pancho Campo (no relation to Sancho Panza who was quite a different type of  sidekick!), to be his guide and perhaps translator. To cut a very long story short, it soon became apparent that Mr Campo actually started to auction off the services of Mr Miller to the highest paying denominations. For example, 40,000 euros for a two day visit to a wine region, and then an additional 6,000 euros per winery to secure a visit and “unbiased” tasting of their wines.

Mr Parker claimed that his own code of ethics demanded those tasting on his behalf declare all hospitality, and that expenses for these trips would be borne by the Wine Advocate itself – there was never any mention of visits being funded by the wine regions, let alone by the Bodegas themselves. It is perhaps difficult to comprehend how Parker’s organisation, in a subsequent investigation, continued to deny all knowledge of these practices, but did at least admit that arrangements in Spain created “an appearance of impropriety”. (Carefully worded by a lawyer no doubt).

Suffice to say that the visit of Jay Miller to our own denomination scheduled for April 2011 never took place, and that he subsequently left the Wine Advocate ‘of his own accord’. Sancho Panza? Well, in typical Latin style (a Chilean National) he too denied everything, but resigned as a Master of Wine under the threat of an investigation by this well respected organisation.

As the saying goes, “there’s no smoke without fire”.

I have been meaning to write about the Wine Advocate Spanish wine ‘scandal’ for some time now. It’s possible that you might not even be aware of what’s been going on, but over the last year or so there has been many a libelous accusation flying about, bismerching the integrity of Mr Robert Parker’s beloved publication.

The problem really began when the number of wine regions covered by this most famous publication became simply too big for one single palate to handle. The solution, in the case of Spain, was to delegate responsibility for the tastings to Mr Parker’s personal friend and colleague, Jay Miller. When you consider the considerable influence wielded by the Wine Advocate around the world it was perhaps a slightly puzzling choice when you consider that Jay Miller had only limited professional experience and had never set foot in Spain in his life!

Armed only with this limited experience Mr Miller enlisted the help of Spain’s only MW, Pancho Campo (no relation to Sancho Panza who was quite a different type of sidekick!), to be his guide and perhaps translator. To cut a very long story short, it soon became apparent that Mr Campo actually started to auction off the services of Mr Miller to the highest paying denominations. For example, 40,000 euros for a two day visit to a wine region, and then an additional 6,000 euros per winery to secure a visit and “unbiased” tasting of their wines.

Mr Parker claimed that his own code of ethics demanded those tasting on his behalf declare all hospitality, and that expenses for these trips would be borne by the Wine Advocate itself – there was never any mention of visits being funded by the wine regions, let alone by the Bodegas themselves. It is perhaps difficult to comprehend how Parker’s organisation, in a subsequent investigation, continued to deny all knowledge of these practices, but did at least admit that arrangements in Spain created “an appearance of impropriety”. (Carefully worded by a lawyer no doubt).

Suffice to say that the visit of Jay Miller to our own denomination scheduled for April 2011 never took place, and that he subsequently left the Wine Advocate ‘of his own accord’. Sancho Panza? Well, in typical Latin style (a Chilean National) he too denied everything, but resigned as a Master of Wine under the threat of an investigation by this well respected organisation.

As the saying goes, “there’s no smoke without fire”.