GOSSIP: Jay Miller no longer with The Advocate (Parker)

[Jenise]

Heard from a distributor on Tuesday. Anyone know more?

seems unlikely. Maybe he meant Miller is no longer doing Australia (woman with hyphenated last name took over, don't remember name)

[Jenise]

Don't think that's what he meant. He used the word "fired" then modified it to "let go". Understanding the way things can get blown out of proportion I repeated neither term here, but he definitely meant a complete parting of ways. Which may not have actually happened, but that's what the distrib was telling us.

[Robin Garr]

Tangentially, this reminds me for some reason of a blurb I saw this morning in Elloinos, an English-language blog by a German guy about Greek wines.

Presented. Without. Comment.

The current issue 190 of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (August 31st) includes ratings on 24 Greek wines. Mark Squires, who wrote the reviews, has one of the most trusted palates in the wine business. Over the last couple of years, he has smartly become one of the leading experts of Greek wines, having visited Greece on several occasions in person.

having visited Greece on several occasions in person

What other way is there to visit a place? In one's mind? Via literature?

He should get an award

[David M. Bueker]

Impossible - Posner isn't talking about it.

Impossible - Posner isn't talking about it.

LOL!

he has smartly become one of the leading experts of Greek wines,

Wow. Good for Squires.

And in such a competitive and hotly contested environment too.

And I can only assume the writer is using the word "smartly" in the older and less used meaning of "quickly".

No comment from me here on Mark Squires, but don't knock Greek wines as a generous handful of primarily small wineries are now producing some very exciting stuff.

If one wants to really follow Greek wines, follow Nico Manessis.

Full disclosure: Nico and I were among the team that worked together on Tom Stevenson's Wine Report.

No comment from me here on Mark Squires, but don't knock Greek wines as a generous handful of primarily small wineries are now producing some very exciting stuff.

If one wants to really follow Greek wines, follow Nico Manessis.

Full disclosure: Nico and I were among the team that worked together on Tom Stevenson's Wine Report.

And no argument from me on Greek wines either, Daniel.

I regularly consume Moschofilero (when I can find it fresh). It's a delightful summertime sipper, fragrant but not sweet, and not over-the-top like some of the Gewurzes and Muscats. And when I was in retail----in *gulp* the last century---I was an "early adaptor" for Greek wines, and have been pleased with the improvement of supply and availability of some of the better ones here.

But Greek wines have a tough market proposition----they do not have much money, government support is not bountiful because government has no money, and it's hard to get traction in this market without a good, comprehensive campaign. Possible; but not easy.

I just find it hard to believe that a PNW distributor knows this (I believe Jenise, but think someone tripped before this got to distributor) and no one at the Parker obsessed boards (not even Dan!) seems to know about it. Possible, but nowhere near probable.

As to Squires, while I can be VERY critical of him as a moderator and person, he seems to have taken his duties in Greece, Portugal, etc very seriously. I don't drink a lot of wines from those regions, so I don't pay much attention, but though our tastes may differ he seems to have taken a much more disciplined and rigorous work ethic than the title character in this thread.

As I've posted recently, I've enjoyed a lot of Greek wines in last year or two. But value can be an issue.$20 seems to be entry barrier for good stuff.

I started hearing (from the grapevine) a couple of months ago that changes were coming at the WA...... Miller was supposed to no longer cover Argentina... among other changes.....

No comment from me here on Mark Squires, but don't knock Greek wines as a generous handful of primarily small wineries are now producing some very exciting stuff.

If one wants to really follow Greek wines, follow Nico Manessis.

Full disclosure: Nico and I were among the team that worked together on Tom Stevenson's Wine Report.

I love the wines of Domaine Sigalas on Santorini!

Strange that in one year, two prominent writers shift or are shifted (First Suckling and now Miller).

As I've posted recently, I've enjoyed a lot of Greek wines in last year or two. But value can be an issue.$20 seems to be entry barrier for good stuff.

Unfortunately its due to the number of handlers in between you and the winery. I tried Domaine Sigalas in Santorini and it was for $6-8 a bottle and by the time it has arrived in MA, its $20-24.

I was impressed with a Madedonikas red (possibly from the producer Tsantali) at a Greek restaurant in Apex, NC. I have seen it listed on the web as from Xinomavro and Merlot grapes, or Xinomavro and Moschomavro grapes. Most descriptions list is a a light-bodied, summer sipper but I found it to have both fruity and savory notes that gave it a little additional complexity. Quite versatile food wine.

[Jenise]

I just find it hard to believe that a PNW distributor knows this (I believe Jenise, but think someone tripped before this got to distributor) and no one at the Parker obsessed boards (not even Dan!) seems to know about it. Possible, but nowhere near probable.

I agree, must have been a bum tip. Too bad it's not true, though. I sense that not only the individual wines Jay rated so highly but the regions he reviewed in general have been somehat devalued as a result of his largesse with the points.