Robert Parker, the lawyer-turned-critic who became an international authority on all things wine
Before he emerged on the scene, the trade was dominated by a privileged few - the sommelier, the collector, the gentleman in a tweed jacket
Andrew J. Linn
Malaga
Friday, 17 October 2025, 14:03
It was a week like this back in 1982 when the man who would evolve into the world's best-known wine critic emerged. Before Robert Parker, wine belonged to a privileged few - the sommelier, the collector, the gentleman in a tweed jacket. After Parker, it belonged to everyone with a glass and an opinion. The lawyer-turned-critic didn't just describe wines; he changed how the world formed opinions about them.
Parker decided to do things differently. He founded The Wine Advocate in 1978 - a plain, stapled newsletter mailed out to subscribers. His mission was simple: tell the truth about wine by speaking directly to ordinary drinkers. His great innovation was the 100-point scoring system: 95 was superb, 85 decent, 70 forgettable. The numbers gave clarity to a world previously mired in jargon.
The turning point came in 1982. While wine critics dismissed Bordeaux's new vintage as too ripe and flamboyant, Parker declared it one of the greatest ever made. Time proved him right. The wines were in unusual demand - and so, suddenly, was Parker. Overnight, his newsletter became an international authority, and his palate, a market force.
Parker liked bold, ripe fruit, silky textures and generous oak. A new crowd-pleasing style emerged. A 96-point review could double the value of a wine overnight. No other critic had ever commanded such economic power with words alone.
Although traditionalists accused Parker of rewarding power over elegance, his detractors acknowledged his honesty, his incorruptibility and the precision of his palate. Now retired, he still enjoys the occasional glass of claret in his farmhouse kitchen.
