I was a football player in high school and college and I always loved a little smack talk. There is nothing like a little smack back and forth with opponents to ignite the competitive fire and mentally prepare for a Saturday afternoon battle.
There has been some smack talk going on between wine critics and wine bloggers lately. As a newbie wine blogger (but not new to blogging - I have a rather successful blog in the recruiting space) I wanted to offer a few thoughts and observations on the brou-ha-ha. As a newbie my perspective is either unique or I haven't been around long enough to know what I am talking about. You decide.
First, some background for context. Recent "smack" from wine critics Anthony Dias Blue and Robert Parker railing against wine bloggers has gotten plenty of attention and, to be honest, their "smack" has me a bit puzzled. It's all well documented by Joe Roberts of 1WineDude here and here. Joe provides meaningful, insightful and intelligent "smack" on the wine critics tantrums so do read it if you haven't already. I am not going to regurgitate all the information here because you can read it but two quotes from Blue and Parker need to be placed here for a little context (bold added to highlight the smack).
From Anthony Dias Blue
“And who are these bloggers anyway and, more important, what is their motivation? It would be comforting to find that they are altruistic wine lovers who see their purpose as bringing insight and valuable information to like-minded consumers. But the image that presents itself is of bitter, carping gadflies who, as they stare into their computer screens and contemplate their dreary day jobs, let their resentment and sense of personal failure take shape as vicious attacks on the established critical media.”
From Robert Parker
"When I was in the Rhône Valley in early September, several French newspapers came out with stories about the deplorable quality of the 2008 Bordeaux vintage. These pre-harvest reports resonated in other areas of the world press, as well as on those notorious blogs that can be authored by anybody who can string a noun and verb together, and by many who can’t.
“It did not take me long to realize that the 2008 vintage was dramatically better than I had expected… When you look at all the facts (not the rumor-mongering from irresponsible bloggers)
Here are my thoughts, the thoughts of a newbie wine blogger, if you care to know:
Name calling is the last resort of an exhausted mind. I am just shocked that Blue and Parker are so tired so soon in their life and have run out of constructive thought and criticism. Oh, that's right, they are the "old" guards of the wine world so perhaps they are just really tired.
While there may be a few (emphasis on few) wine bloggers who may fit the descriptors (smack) used by the wine critics, judging and stereotyping the entire wine blogging community based on exceptions rather than rules is irresponsible and unprofessional. Blue and Parker are supposed to be the "professional wine critics and journalists" here aren't they? Making sensational generalizations about the entire wine blogging community makes them no better than a tabloid magazine.
Other business bloggers solved these issues long ago. Business bloggers, notably the recruiting blogosphere of which I am a part, are almost devoid of this sort of histrionics and immaturity. Why? Because they let the community as a whole decide what is worthy, credible and worth citing. There is a genuine sense of community amongst the most well known and the up and comers. Millenials, Gen Y, Gen X and Boomers all play nice in the recruiting blogosphere fostering a true spirit of collaboration to move everyone forward. Oh, there is debate and robust discussion - sometimes heated - but the so called "experts" have not resorted to the sort of behavior exemplified by Blue and Parker. Instead they have become involved and engaged in the discussion.
In sports it's known as a game changing moment and the wine game has had one. Specifically the wine information, publication, review, tasting note and conversation game has changed. No longer can you proclaim yourselfan expert. Before social media (BSM?), the likes of Blue and Parker could claim to be an expert and there wasn't much in the way of a challenge or means to challenge that claim quickly. Start a magazine, newsletter or other traditional media outlet and pretty much you became an expert or at least a seemingly viable source of information. Now, all of the wine data, information and reviews you could ever want are available to you and can be immediate, viral, transparent and free (Parker charges you for this - could that be the gripe?). Whether or not your opinion, content, knowledge and recommendations have value is decided by others. Those who read and follow you and those who just happen upon you determine if you are legitimate and add value to the conversation and then refer your information on through Facebook, Twitter, their own blogs or name the social media engine. The power is now in the conversation. Which leads me to my next point.
Most wine critics made (some continue to try and make) their name and reputation in a world that is dying on the vine. To be fair, when I first became passionate about wine I learned alot from Robert Parker, James Suckling (I still read James regularly) and others who are professional wine critics. Their reputations and impact are indelibly imprinted on all things wine. But the landscape was very different then and getting information and spreading that information could only be accomplished through traditional media. Blue and Parker are trying to hold on to that outdated, inefficient, engagement deficient and aristocratic medium because it ensures their elevated place in the world of wine. They get to speak, talk and tell everyone about wine rather then engage in a meaningful conversation about wine with the consumers. I mean all consumers - those who drink First Growth Bordeaux and those who drink what some might call 2 Buck Chuck. In that old world their publications, events, speaking engagements and T.V. appearances were their platform for self promotion and they were TALKING AT US rather then WITH US. Now, if you talk AT people rather than talk WITH them you get ignored.
It's a knowledge economy and the consumer decides what they want to know and how they want to know it. Blue, Parker and other wine critics of a professional stature in the wine community have a place and they have their followers. The shifting sand beneath their feet is probably a bit frightening to them and likely the cause of their outburst. They don't know how to communicate or reach this large, vocal and powerful (in terms of buying power) group of wine lover. If they do know they aren't executing well considering their delivery style and paid subscription sites. Experienced and new wine loving Millenials, Gen Y and most of Gen X aren't paying attention to Blue and Parker all that much because their method of communication, style and - let's be honest - wine snobbery put them off. These three generational groups trust their friends and those their friends refer more than so called "experts". This is the power of social media for them. They decide where and how they get the information they want. If they can get valuable, reliable, accurate and engaging conversation on wine for free that makes the professional wine critics paid sites and information less important. Blue, Parker and others surely must see the writing on that wall, right?
Most of the wine blogging community does not have the experience, knowledge, tasting chops and palate maturity that the professional wine critics possess. That doesn't make their experience, knowledge, tasting chops or palate irrelevant or less important - just different! Let the readers of these blogs decide what to read, what to believe and who to listen to. That is free market economics at its finest really. The conversation is the point and it's a lively, fun, engaging, informative and wonderful conversation.
I would love to see Blue, Parker and others from the traditional wine media embrace social media and get involved in the conversation rather than sit in their ivory white towers talking at us - and down to us. The US is not only the wine bloggers, the US is the current and future wine consumer who are tuning them out because of the reasons outlined above. James Suckling (@jamessuckling on Twitter) from Wine Spectator was an early adopter, at least in terms of the old guard wine critic, of Twitter and some other forms of social media. He tweets regularly, often engages his Twitter followers and has responded personally to me on a couple of occasions.
The game has changed, the conversation has changed, the wine economy has changed and so should the talk - including the smack talk. Change or you will be destined for the ash heap of wine information history.
MIchael Homula planted the vines of PTC and can be reached at pullingthecork @ gmail dot com or you can follow Pulling The Cork on Twitter @pullingthecork.
