The Causes of the Decline of the eBob Empire

WLASC is a group of people who raise money to help support the Sonoma County Wine Library in Healdsburg. Through the year, various fundraising events are held, often involving the authors of books about wine. Friday, an event had as its featured speaker, Elin McCoy, author of The Emperor of Wine: Robert M. Parker, Jr., and the Rise of American Taste.

McCoy summarized what she had written in her book explaining how Parker became so prominent. His timing was excellent: the 1982 Bordeaux vintage and his championing of it was a catalytic event that propelled him into prominence just as the American wine industry was beginning its great expansion. The 100 point scale was a novel concept that caught on, especially when wine businesses began promoting him when his scores helped their sales. Parker had a compelling story: the Lone Ranger protecting the American palette from the villainy of bad wine.

Most of her talk was about how Parker’s brand was holding up in the current market with conditions so vastly different than in the early 1980’s. Her conclusion was that Parker’s influence is waning, and that the power of the Wine Advocate will not out last Parker’s retirement.

One cause is that Parker himself weakened his brand when he decided to concentrate on Bordeaux, the Rhone, and California, leaving the rest of the world to others. The others lack the credibility Parker has obtained. Some are Parker’s personal friends, not exactly a strong recommendation. And one can’t pass on one’s taste buds to one’s successors.

Another cause is that wine people who interact with consumers (sommeliers, wine shop personnel, etc.) are more knowledgeable than they were at the beginning of Parker’s reign, and they have their own opinions that they are anxious to impart to their customers. Critics, themselves, are more fragmented, and specialized. Her examples were Burghound and the Pinot Report, specializing in just one grape.

The most complex and important cause is the internet. With Celler Tracker, everyone is a critic. Reviewing is different. Rather than tasting a flight of 50 wines, people review as they drink.

McCoy coupled the internet with the coming of age of the “Millennials”, internet users with their own social media culture. Her analysis of this group was anecdotal and highly generalized. Millennials like to share, They don’t feel that their choices have to be correct. It is not a mistake if they choose a wine they don’t like; it’s a experience. Millennials don’t like gurus. They seek authenticity. They look at wine as part of life, not something to be judged.

The last cause is the new ways that a brand becomes known. she gave several examples. Sideways had a huge influence on two varietals: it is a completely different process than popularizing a single wine through product placement: i.e., Pahlmeyer in the movie Disclosure.

The website whatwouldmikeydrink.com was a gift to Mikey, a finance guy, from his girlfriend. On it, for four years, Mikey has been telling his friends what he drinks each night: his own stream of tasting notes.

In Japan there is a cartoon strip named Shizuku Kamizaki. The main character mentions a new wine in each strip. There are 500,000 readers per week. Compilations of past strips sell in the millions. For every strip, the distributor has 20,000 bottles ready for shipment. The chief buyer for JAL had to change his wine list to reflect the cartoon character’s tastes.

When she traveled around promoting her book, McCoy found people were highly polarized about Parker. They loved him or hated him. During the question period, there was no sign her audience that night was polarized. The first questioner asked Parker’s age. The second asked about his health. Asked whether she thought the 100 point scale would wane along with Parker, McCoy said, sorry, no, it has become too ubiquitous. the 100 point scale is Parker’s lasting contribution.

[eBobniks: please note: the title of this post was mine, not McCoy’s. Her talk was entitled “The Emperor Updated”.]