Comments | pointedview: For $250, you, too, can have an Award of Excellence

pointedview

For $250, you, too, can have an Award of Excellence

Aug 20, 2008 18:26

... or that's what this research seems to indicate. Link found thanks to Patricia's FARK linkage.

What does it take to get a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence?Their reviews might still be okay, but given this, the awards on restaurant walls seem to be more of a revenue stream for the magazine than an actual indicator of a quality wine list. It's ( Read more... )

wine

Comments 3

quandry August 21 2008, 06:43:00 UTC

I've got a few thoughts on the matter ( ... )

pointedview August 21 2008, 15:16:29 UTC

Um, on your first point, I did say in my initial post that the WS reviews may still be okay. It was my impression that the awards seemed to be something of a reciprocal marketing device for the magazine and the restaurants.

However, I appreciate the link to the response from Wine Spectator. Thank you. I had not seen that, and should have investigated to see if they had a response. Two sides to every story, and I know better. ;) It's interesting that, according to the additional information they provided, Goldstein appears to have told quite a few lies of omission. If he indeed went to the lengths of creating Chowhound commentary and the answering machine, then I think that WS did basic research and verification, and had no reason to this this was any more unusual than other applications they've received. Somewhere in the middle likely lies the truth ( ... )

quandry August 21 2008, 17:38:18 UTC

I only made the first point because I feel like this has to be put in a larger context - WS has made a lot of enemies over the years. (Sorry if I came off as going OT or ignoring your post.) They are the magazine that everyone loves to hate. The absolute glee that this news has been met with in the wine community stems from disagreement about reviews, perceptions of commercial interests skewing their service to readers, and yes, absolute distrust over the various restaurant awards. So somebody took a poke at them, and there are a heck of a lot of people who are thrilled, despite how underhanded (and greed motivated) it might be. We're a culture that loves the underdog, and loves watching the establishement get the wind taken out of its sails.