Article on Michel Rolland in the Globe and Mail

Michel Rolland recently visited Toronto and this article has appeared in the Wine and Spirits section of the newspaper. After reading it I will say that the author is probably right in that things are not as "doomsday"-like as Nossiter perhaps portrayed in Mondovino, since artisanal wines indeed continue to be made around the world. However, I do think that the economic incentives that have been created thanks to the Rolland-Parker synergy are a real factor for winemakers to grapple with when it comes time to grab the calculator or do the spreadsheet, and the real game comes down to whether a winemaker pursues über-ripeness for the sake of getting on the crest of current fashion or simply says 'screw it' and opts never to reach for the maquillage.

Mondo winemaker enjoys the last laugh

Rolland. Parker. The "points system". The days when "wine journalism" is so far up the industry's rectum it really doesn't know which way is up. The rampant use of "thick" as a positive descriptor. Some day we will wake up and discover that the vine maladies of the late 19th century were nothing compared to the evil that is afoot in our age.

Great to hear from you Manuel!

I don't follow wine mags anymore - when I was getting interested in wine way back in the day, I did read reviews and occasionally browsed the press (pun not intended, though I am a home winemaker). But then I quickly began to realize which styles spoke to my tastes and so I chucked the 'training wheels' soon thereafter. Part of the reason I've never considered getting involved with wine professionally is this whole business about having to grow/make what the market wants, and not what you as a winemaker necessarily would want to make. It's hard to be passionate about something if you have to follow fickle fashion.

Oh, "the mags" are nothing, really, Paul. It's sicker and much more sinister than just a few self-proclaimed "journalists" or "critics" and their sway.

And I have immense trouble thinking of the point-seeking products created by Rolland, his flunkies and imitators, as "wine".

Those who resist joining the seemingly endless parade of whores and whoremongers that is now the borader wine industry have all my repsect and love. The rest make me wake up every day thinking that wine is dead.