The world-famous American wine critic Robert Parker, founder and long-time director of the "Wine Advocate", has finished his work as a taster at the age of 71. This has been announced by the current editor-in-chief of the newsletter, Lisa Perotti-Brown, on her website. "The time has come for me to relinquish all editorial responsibilities as well as the work on the supervisory board," Parker wrote.
He had already sold a majority stake in Wine Advocate to an Asian investor in 2012 and appointed Perotti-Brown as editor-in-chief, and in 2017 Guide Michelin bought a 40 percent stake. In 2015 he handed over his Bordeaux ratings, with which he became world-famous, to Neil Martin. He also discontinued the tastings of Burgundy and California.
Parker began his work in 1978 when he founded The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate, which he soon renamed The Wine Advocate. It was there that he established the wine ratings according to the 100-point system. He became world-famous for his positive assessments of the great 1982 Bordeaux vintage, which was initially controversial among many judges. In 1984 he stopped working as a consumer lawyer and since then has devoted himself exclusively to the Wine Advocate. The magazine now has subscribers in 40 states around the world.
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