Wine Critics — Why we need them and why we don't?

If you have ever bought wine even once, chances are you would have heard of two things at least: 90/90+ point wines, and Robert Parker.

When the lawyer turned wine critic Parker first started the wine rating system in the late 1970s, no one (likely including him) had the faintest idea he was starting a movement that will turn into a juggernaut, giving birth to hundreds and thousands of glamorous jobs in the wine world. Before he came along, the world of wine assessment simply wasn't standardized — it wasn't being cut with the same knife over and over again across producers across locations to provide a consistent picture through the vintages of a style of wine and quality.

The 100 point system seemed simple to comprehend to the common man, to make sense of the extremely complex world of wine. While as the years and decades have progressed, the 100 point rating system and many of the ratings have been called into question, what remains is the fact that Parker did change the wine industry in more than one way. The most important was establishing the status of independent wine critics as a benchmark that wine distributors, retailers and consumers could look up to and trust.

While Parker had a head start in establishing himself as the authority, it wasn't long before the world found other independent and equally well respected voices such as Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson, James Halliday, and others. These were then followed by other prominent names such as Allen Meadows, Stephen Tanzer, Antonio Galloni, Neal Martin, Kerin O'Keefe, Tim Atkin, and Richard Hemming.

Why do we need these critics?

The answer is quite simple. We need them precisely because of information overload.

• We need them to help us sift through the mountains of literature to tell us what's worth a read and what's a cheap regurgitation of established writing overly simplified to serve a hidden agenda.
• We need them because no one has the financial wherewithal to taste the multitude of wines and styles and famed producers with their own money.
• We need them because there are too many 'wine experts' out there, some still pretty wet behind their ears.
• We need them to help us sift through the zillion regional and international wine awards now in circulation.
• We need them to stand up to the financial might of some of the largest producers to put the truth bluntly.
• We need them to help the industry grow, to help identify new passionate producers who have willingly chosen the long grind.

And as you make use of the great reads from the likes of Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson, Tim Atkin, Antonio Galloni, Kerin O'Keefe, Richard Hemmings and others into your wine journey, here are a few practices to consider: Be humble and accept that most of the time what you don't know is a lot more than what you do know. Spend a few minutes tasting and assessing the wine every time. Try different wine styles, different countries, regions and different grapes. Follow the big names in wine writing on social media.