Life beyond Parker – California wine eyes a new critical voice
Jon Bonné
Sunday, July 31, 2011
In late August, the first scores of California wine will appear from one Antonio Galloni.
New reviews arrive all the time, but Galloni’s will get the scrutiny usually reserved for Talmudic law or the Starr report. Galloni, a 40-year-old veteran of the asset management industry, is taking on the California responsibilities of Robert Parker, the world’s most powerful wine critic.
This isn’t any old changing of the guard. Parker has helped define California as a place for some of world’s best wines. He has provided a string of near-perfect scores for labels that have become some of the world’s top luxury items, predominantly from Napa names like Harlan Estate, Schrader and Screaming Eagle, but also for tiny labels like Manfred Krankl’s Sine Qua Non from Ventura.
And so a nervous industry is reading tea leaves, trying to understand how its fate could be cast by a younger critic who has more experience reviewing wines from Italy and Champagne, both of which Galloni still covers for Parker’s influential newsletter, the Wine Advocate.
Smooth transition
“The first thing we’re trying to do is make this as seamless a change as possible,” Galloni says.
So California scores will be delivered on the same schedule; wines previously covered will be reviewed again. Galloni’s hoping to avoid a rush to judgment.
But in a recent interview he also revealed a keen awareness of how he stands to re-craft his role, one that can be a defining voice in California wine. After years of complaints about Parker’s preference for a ripe, high-impact style, Galloni hopes to take a bigger-tent approach without denting a powerful franchise.
“There’s a certain percentage of people who just think I’m going to do what Bob did. They don’t have a very high view of the Wine Advocate. Then there’s the other people out there who are maybe slightly disenchanted with the direction California wine has taken, and they think I’m going to come in and fix all the ills,” Galloni says. “Neither of them is true. Everybody’s going to be disappointed.”
Doubtful. Galloni’s past work – he published the Piedmont Report newsletter before Parker hired him in 2006 – reveals a savvy, thoughtful critic. He praises both traditional and modern styles of wine (this was especially important in Italy) and prefers to focus on themes and trends rather than just scores.
Yet Parker’s legacy is all about those ratings. So there is serious skin in the game for those who have relied on Parker’s perennial praise.
“I have to think the people who are continually surviving on his reviews have to be nervous,” says Wells Guthrie of Copain Wine Cellars.
Guthrie is the rare winemaker to discuss his shift away from a Parker-favored style, even abandoning fruit from Paso Robles’ James Berry vineyard, a site of top-scoring Parker wines. Thus he’s upbeat about the switch.
“People like myself are hoping Galloni’s going to bring a modicum of restraint,” he says.
New era of critiques
The larger question is whether Galloni – or anyone – can fill Parker’s shoes as a kingmaker.
“Is he going to carry the weight that Bob carried? No,” says Tor Kenward, a longtime wine executive who runs his own small Napa label. “But I think he’s going to become his own voice. Is he going to be the gatekeeper that Bob’s been? That’s going to be the huge question.”
Who says he needs to be? Galloni’s ascendancy fits into an emerging theory of Parker’s grand plan: that the uber-critic from Monkton, Md., is trying to ensure that his publication outlives his tenure. Even Galloni sees his new job as a chance to help liberate winemakers from a vicious cycle of appeasing Parker.
“He may have gotten to a point where he wanted to free people from feeling they had to make certain choices,” Galloni says. “Maybe this is a catalyst to let people say, ‘I want to make the wine I want to make.’ ”
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/29/FDQU1KFUOP.DTL
Wine is becoming increasingly popular in Manila and other cities in the Philippines. Wine lovers in Manila travel to the north to visit Clark, Pampanga to shop for good and rate vintage wines at good duty-free prices. The most frequently visited liquor shop in Manila and wine shop in Pampanga is Clark Wine Center. This highly recommended wine shop located outside Manila near Angeles City, Pampanga in North Luzon is known for offering a great selection of fine vintage wine that is good quality and good value for money also.
This well-known wine shop is a famous shopping destination for wine enthusiasts in Manila and wine lovers from other cities in Asia including Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo.
Famous Philippines wine supplier known for its line of fine vintage wines, Yats Wine Cellars was established in 2000 to address the requirement of a growing population of wine enthusiasts in the Philippines. This 5-star wine shop caters to the discerning client who requires these qualities in their wines: (1) excellent value, (2) large selection of labels and vintages to choose from and (3) wines properly aged for full enjoyment.
Public wine tastings are held from time to time in Clark and sometimes in Manila. Tickets range from p500 to p1500 for these themed events that are professionally run –no wine merchants sponsorship, pushy salesmen or tacky banners to ruin the evening. Each ticket contains a certain number of stubs that can be redeemed for a tasting pour of a wine among those on a line-up which often contains wines that are quite old and expensive.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)
YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay
Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.
Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:
http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com
While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com
YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com
Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.
A Well-known Restaurant in Pampnga, an interesting place to celebrate Birthday Party in Pampnga.
A best place to dine with friends in Pampanga
www.YatsRestaurant.com
Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassion
www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
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