Robert Parker & the Michelin Guide Unite, Reviewing The Reviewers

Robert Parker Wine event in nyc advicesisters.com reviewer john dunham photo by alison blackman

advicesisters.com’s own wine editor, John R. Dunham

Last month, at an event held in New York’s Gabriel Kreuther restaurant, Nicolas Achard, newly appointed CEO of Robert Parker Wine Advocate announced that the company had been fully acquired by Michelin, publisher of the famous Michelin Guide. This merger brings together two of the predominant review publications for food and beverages worldwide.

To kick off the merger, Robert Parker Wine Advocate and the Michelin Guide brought together some of the key Robert Parker reviewers to present editors with their top wine choices by region.

Wine lovers eagerly read the Wine Advocate to find out what the reviewers are saying, and the Michelin guide has been around since 1889. Before there were search engines to look up food and wine, people interested in finding the best of the best in Europe consulted the Michelin Guide.

Their “star” rating for restaurants and hotels became not just indispensable for tourists, for chefs and industry professionals as well.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate:

Founded by Robert M. Parker in 1978, Robert Parker Wine Advocate provides nearly 30,000 independent wine reviews to its subscribers annually.

While we at AdviceSisters believe that ratings of all types, including wine ratings, are subjective, we do appreciate the skill of the team of professionals working at Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

These men and women and extremely knowledgeable, and have tasted and considered more wines than any average wine lover would. The reviews are a great resource for detailed reviews of wines and regions.

Meeting The Reviewers:

Wine reviewers do not all look like Bacchus, with grape clusters on their heads. They come from a variety of backgrounds and have different interests based on region and terroir.

Many of these great reviewers were at the event, presenting some of their favorite wines from around the world.

We personally feel that different wines go with different occasions, different foods, different tastes, and different budgets. That is why there are literally tens of thousands of different choices.

The Robert Parker reviewers can help narrow things down for those seeking something new, or just tried and true.

Some that we were particularly liked:

Ulysse Collin Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2013: $150) Selected by reviewer William Kelly who focuses on France and northern Europe, this Champagne was fantastic.

Golden yellow in color with a yeasty apple nose, the wine delivered with citrus upfront and a long apply and a yeasty finish. Mr. Kelly also reported notes of nutmeg and fresh peach.

Planeta Sicilia Carricante Eruzione 1614 (2017: $25) This wine, which was selected by reviewer Monica Larner who specializes in Italy, is from the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily.

Made from 10 percent Riesling and 90 percent Carricante we found this wine to have an ashy nose with soft ashy notes upfront a citrusy middle palate and a mineral finish.

It would be a great pairing wine for lighter foods. Ms. Larner found the wine to be linear with salty mineral notes embellished by tones of petrol, ginger, and beeswax.

Kir Yianni Diaporos Block 5 (2011: $25) Reviewer Mark Squires focuses on a lot of the more esoteric wine regions that we really love, including Lebanon, Eastern Europe, Portugal and the Eastern part of North America.

His selection, from Macedonia in Greece was a Xinomavro (our favorite grape).

Xinomavro is a grape bright red in color with a nose redolent in dark fruits. The wine had a lot of structure but could be consumed today.

Black fruit up front and a lot of minerals on the finish with a hint of vanilla. Mr. Squires also suggested that the wine was well balanced showing exceptional fruit and finesse.

Domaines Lupier La Dama (2015: $42) An old vine Garnacha from Navarra Spain, this wine was the choice of reviewer Luis Gutierrez who focuses on Spain and South America.

The wine was red in color with purple hues, with a lot of blueberry and cocoa notes on the nose.

We found it to be very fresh with berries up front and a fruity long finish. Mr. Gutierrez suggested that the wine was more powerful than it feels with chalky tannins that will allow it to develop nicely in the bottle.

Gabriel Kreuther:

The Robert Parker/Michelin Guide event was held downstairs in the chic Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant.
Based on the delicious nibbles that paired with the wines, we see why.

Chef Kreuther’s awards include “Best New Restaurant of the Year” by New York’s Village Voice, the AAA 5 Diamond Award, 3 Stars from the NY Times, and Two Michelin Stars.

The restaurant is also member of the esteemed Relais & Chateaux.