Wilfred Wong

Anybody have any opinions? He's the Cellarmaster for BevMo, so his reviews get a lot of space on their website, but I have no idea how to value them. Is he a point inflator, to sell more wine for BevMo? A RP clone? The anti-RP?

I know, all of those are extreme positions, and most probably none apply. So help me, if you can!

No definitive opinion, but he does seem to avoid throwing out a large number of 90+ scores.

This interview of Wilfred Wong has some info on his approach.
http://tinyurl.com/2slkh9

cheers
al

I've been at a few tastings with Mr. Wong and even shook his hand a couple of times as he has showed up on several occasions at our local BevMo in Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill, CA. (In fact, I think he actually worked there as the wine buyer, but don't hold me for downs on that one.)

He does his thing quietly, unassumingly and quickly. He is a professional and I doubt he would select bad wines for sale in BevMo, but he does have to choose wines at various price points and, naturally, some of those at the lower price points might not be so hot. But, seeing as how one does not bite the hand of the one who feeds one, I feel his comments might sometimes be generous. I won't be as brash as to say that he is not objective, but with regard to the wowie-zowie point scale I usually subtract about ten points from his ratings to arrive at mine.

Perhaps I should say that I respect his opinion of but do not share his enthusiasm for many of the wines sold in BevMo.

I know Wilfred very well, and have for many years.

He's well respected amongst his peers. He does several competitions and tastes thousands of wines a year, so lord knows he gets to practice a lot.

He's also, though that's not important in the context of what you're asking for, a hell of a nice, down to earth wine loving guy.

I respect Wilfred's opinions very much, with two caveats, both of which I believe Gary addressed: first, Wilfred loves wine...all wine...and he cares as much for wine at all levels as anyone I know. He's not a snob, in other words, and he works very very hard at carefully selecting the best wines from given categories (usually price, but others apply). And he's good at it. But he is doing it for his company, so I always take that into account. Second, as with anyone who writes tasting notes, you have to come to know and understand the critic's preferred profiles (the famous 'calibration').

If Wilfred tells me a wine is a good wine, I pay attention to him. I don't always agree with him....but then, I don't always agree with anybody. I do know he is a widely experienced taster with an excellent sensory memory. And he is not prone to gushing over wines and throwing around high-90 scores. (I generally don't pay too much attention to the scores anyway though; I usually pay more heed to the words. And Wilfred has more tolerance for oak and goop than I do.)

He's not a snob, in other words, and he works very very hard at carefully selecting the best wines from given categories (usually price, but others apply) ...

And Wilfred has more tolerance for oak and goop than I do.

Exactly! He has to buy for all tastes which are not necessarily his own but yet might darken the door of a BevMo. He can't very well write something like, "This wine is made for all those pantywaists out there who disguise their inability to drink a real man's wine chock full of oak, thick as tar, and hot as Hades. Subtlety, balance, finesse -- pshaw -- all girly-man rationalizations which might be applied to this thin, purplish bilge." That wouldn't sell much wine.

Hoke wrote: I don't always agree with him....but then, I don't always agree with anybody.

Hey, I doubt tif it is true, but I have heard that you always agree with Kessler! And, almost always agree with Yaniger. Then there is your calibration with Califusa's palate.

Hoke wrote: I don't always agree with him....but then, I don't always agree with anybody.

Hey, I doubt tif it is true, but I have heard that you always agree with Kessler! And, almost always agree with Yaniger. Then there is your calibration with Califusa's palate.

Well, it keeps Lou happy, I'm always vaguely alarmed when I agree with Stuart, and Bree....I just like Bree.

Well, I think it's always important to be a hell of a nice, down to earth wine loving guy. But you're right, Hoke, that really doesn't help calibrate me to his reviews. And I have a fairly high tolerance for oak and goop, too.

The reason for this is, of course, the BevMo 5¢ sale. Some 192 wines, essentially at half price, seems like worth taking a chance on. But I can't afford to try all 192 wines, in terms of time or money, so I thought I'd try to narrow it down a bit. I assumed that he'd at least try to be fair, if only for the sake of his reputation. Thank you all for your input.

http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?area=wine&N=306

I bought a couple of bottles of Michael Pozzan Chard on the 5 cent deal. I don't remember a Wong rating, but I did like a recent bottle of SB from Michael Pozzan.

(I wonder who owns them?)

Sounds like a good guy to drink with. But I would NEVER EVER buy a wine from BevMo. They have no quality control... at least in SoCal. You have a far better chance of getting a cooked wine than a good wine. And you'll pay a high price for it...buy SoCal standards.

I also love the 5 cent sale. Mark the price up 100% and then charge 5 cents I have had people show me the wine they bought for 5 cents ... and I show them Wine-Searcher ... their smiles dim very quickly.

Jason