Influential Wine Critics / Publications You should know

When talking about wine critics, the first name that comes to mind is probably his name – Robert Parker. Robert M. Parker, Jr. is arguably the world’s most influential and most trusted authority in wine for over 30 years. He started the bi-monthly publication The Wine Advocate in 1978 to bring consumers independent wine reviews that were not sponsored by the interested parties, which were lacking at the time, and his 100-point wine-rating scale is still widely endorsed now.

One of the most famous and interesting stories about his career is his accurate prediction of the legendary vintage of 1982 in Bordeaux – at the time the industry was not sure about the quality of the vintage 1982 and some famous American wine critics criticized the vintage, while Robert Parker, then a relatively unknown wine writer, non-stopped praising the vintage in full details in his publication. There were serious debates, but it turned out that he was right, earning him credibility with the industry and the new generation of wine consumers.

He launched the website because he saw a need for wine to be communicated in a more modern way. “I believe that today’s wine drinker deserves more than just written reviews and criticism. They need to see with their own eyes the place, the people, and the rating process. Truly, there’s so much more to learn about wine than just simple numbers and prose.”, said Suckling.

The crux of the site is his tasting notes, and James and his team of critics rate everything with the 100-point scale. The site also offers subscribers high-definition video content from wineries around the world, with a focus on Austria, Germany, Italy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Napa Valley, Australia, and New Zealand.

After almost 30 years of producing the Halliday Wine Companion, James Halliday took a step back from some of his vast responsibilities on the guide in September 2020. Over time, James had tasked a range of wine authorities with assisting him in tasting Australia’s wines, which is a year-round process. Today, the esteemed tasting team of Halliday Wine Companion is made up of James Halliday and seven other panelists, including the Chief Editor Tyson Stelzer. Each authority is responsible for reviewing the wines from specific regions around the country, which allows for continuity, connection, and specialist expertise.

His website bobcampbell.nz features his tasting notes of mostly New Zealand wines. To fight against “fake” / bad quality reviews that undermine the credibility of wine critics, for example, some wine critics give excessively high scores or get paid to write wine reviews, Bob Campbell and Huon Hooke, another famous wine critic, formed The Real Review to promote and differentiate their approach to wine reviews, which is “free to get reviewed, pay for commercial use”. It shows his dedication to creating a healthy wine industry.

He has also founded The Wine Gallery, an Auckland-based wine school, in 1990 and is widely regarded as New Zealand’s foremost wine educator. In addition to wine education, Bob Campbell makes a living from wine writing and as a public speaker. He is the editor/columnist of multiple publications, such as Decanter Magazine. Moreover, he served as the Chairman of judges at the NZ Wine Society Royal Easter Wine Show for 21 years and is currently the Chairman of judges at the NZ International Wine Show and Chairman of the New Zealand section of the London-based Decanter World Wine Awards.

They have set stringent standards for themselves and rely on the proven ability and experience of the editors as tasters and critics. Former critics include the above-mentioned James Suckling. The majority of the wines tasted are submitted by the wineries or their U.S. importers. Additionally, they spend thousands of dollars each year to buy wines that are not submitted, at all price levels.