My hero: Robert Parker

[Capn Jimbo]

I love Robert Parker...


...but in an entirely natural and respectful way. This VERY independent wine reviewer has been my hero for not just a little while. He came from nowhere in the haughty field of wine tastings and reviewing and succeeded. He refused to take advantage of the major freebies a leading reviewer is offered. He was the father of the modern scoring system (100 points, but only 50 to 100 scored, based on the American Standard scoring). He was completely independent and became so respected that he could make or break a wine. He had real power, but he did not abuse it.

My hero.

Want more proof? Parker recently announced that he would no longer taste pre-release wines as he had come to question the credibility or reliabilty of these offerings. Instead he has decided to taste the wine only once it's bottled and released, which means he is tasting the same wine you are.

My hero.