Parker's Wine Buyers Guide

Setting aside any bias (pro or con) about Parker and or his palate, I would like to ask a question. This morning I purchased on EBAY a Parker book entitled "Parker's Wine Bargains: The World's Best Wine Values Under $25". Since I buy far more under than over $25, I thought it might give me some useful information.

This caused me to stop and think that I haven't purchased a Parker book in several years. Although I am not a huge Parker follower, neither do I dismiss him, nor his palate. This purchase led me to wonder if any of our posters/members here regularly buy Parker's books, and in particular his Buyers Guide. Does anyone here even know what was the last publication of the Buyers Guide? I don't, and the latest I could find with a cursory Google search was #7 which was published in 2008. Actually I might just spring for one on EBAY sometime soon.

I only have one of his books - "Burgundy" published in the early '90s.

I have several of his books. Last I remember about the Buyer's Guide it was wines under $10.00.

Nope.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

2008 was the last overall guide published. While the reviews are of minimal value (snapshots that are also getting long in the tooth), David Schildknecht did some fantastic regional introductions on his areas of expertise.

The values guide is somewhat more recent.

I don't about the buyers' guides, but I think RP's book on the Rhone

Wines of the Rhone Valley

is very informed and enjoyable (if now slightly dated)

I borrowed the Rhone guide from the library 2-3 years ago. I didn't warm to his writing style, but I did approve of him including tasting notes for a number of vintages (a la Broadbent Vintage Wine). There are far too many books focused on current release wines, so it's good to encourage critics to write on mature wines as well as new releases.

regards

Ian

I bought the first 3 editions of his Wine Buyer's Guide, before it became such an immense tome that sunk my bookshelves. I also have his Burgundy and Rhone books as well, which I liked best for the maps that were in them, which were stylistically simple and yet detailed enough. I think the same artist did them both. Since then, I haven't purchased anything Parker as his forrays into 'hedonism' became a big Guatemala-sized hole that consumed anything in it's path.

I always thought the Wine Buyer's Guide was an excellent introduction to virtually all the wine regions of the world. The last version I have is the 5th edition, I think. But a lot of the information won't change, such as the overviews of the grapes and major wines of the regions, as well as rather detailed listings of the better and best producers in each.

[David M. Bueker]

I always thought the Wine Buyer's Guide was an excellent introduction to virtually all the wine regions of the world. The last version I have is the 5th edition, I think. But a lot of the information won't change, such as the overviews of the grapes and major wines of the regions, as well as rather detailed listings of the better and best producers in each.

David Schildknecht did a complete overhaul of many of the regional introductions for the 7th edition & yes, many of the listings of top producers saw major changes.