Parker hot enough for Spain

At www.catavino.net I just found a link to an interesting article in business week. Parker says about Spain the following:

The Good, The Bad, And The Overpriced

WHAT’S HOT

Spain’s 2004 and 2005 vintages
Spain is the most fashionable wine producer in the world, and for good reason. Young Spanish winemakers respect their traditions but are also adopting practices from elsewhere that make for better and better wines. Nature lent a hand as well with two terrific vintages, 2004 and 2005.

whole text: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_07/b4021090.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_after+work

Guiri

Not sure a Parker recco is altogether a good thing these days, is it? :-)

I still think Parker is one of the best things that ever happened to the Spanish wine export. I agree that Parker’s delay in publishing the newest tasting notes for Spanish wines has placed many producers in Spain in an difficult position.

guiri

Dunno... I just know that there are far more people I know who would actively avoid a Parker-recommended wine than seek one out!

Hi Suiko, I understand what you mean, and for me not every wine published in Wine Advocate is ";great"; just because it was tasted by Parker, or one of his assistents. I like to see this issue from the Spanish producer’s point of view. Since Parker has started to publish the ";Spanish TN’s"; about four years ago, Spain has gained a lot of respect. The first year he tasted about 100 wines, later 300 and in 2005 more than 600. Wine buyers wherever in the world take into account what Parker says. They buy wines they never would have bought without Parker’s tasting notes. Producers haven’t only sold more in the US through Parker, but also in many other countries in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico. Spain is producing great wines in general and is going into the right direction. Nevertheless, the Spanish wine producers still have a long way to go to reach the minds of the quality wine consumers.

Guiri

In Spain, just the same as in the rest of the world ... many producers who would maybe prefer not to have to depend on Parker but who really strive to get lots of points from The Guy ... and as long as every point can be paired with a big incremente in earnings (usually because you not only sell more wines, but sell them quite more expensive) this is the way it is going to be ... Parker era will pass, but someone else will replace him ...

MaJesus

Hi MaJesus, maybe all the members and forum writers of Verema one day will ";dictate"; the points. ";90 points Verema"; doesn’t sound bad. Actually, as I think of it, in Spain and especially in the Levante area more and more wine producers use Verema as a reference.

Guiri

I don’t know if this is Parkers ";fault"; or not but the
trend in Spain to produce ultra concentrated oaky monsters
in big heavy bottles with prices to match is not something I
am happy with.
Who are these producers making wine for ?
Is this how Spain takes it’s place at the top table of wine producing countries ?
Is this ";respect"; - a $90 pago this, finca that..... an ";....um"; or an ";... us";.....??
Often wine which was a $35 Reserva is now re-packaged to garner as many points as possible and a price is set upon which bears no relation to the intrinsic value of the product.

Rant over now !

cheers

Ray