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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sting operation uses fake wine list to expose Wine Spectator ‘restaurant awards’
I’ve written extensively about Wine Spectator’s so-called “Restaurant Awards,” including just last month, after the most recent WS restaurant guide was released. (And, of course, two years ago when Marvin Shanken himself weighed in on the matter …)
Now, Robin Goldstein, author of The Wine Trials, has taken things to a whole new level.
Goldstein essentially set up a sting operation — and it appears the Spectator was caught hook, line and sinker.
Goldstein submitted a fake wine list from a fake Italian restaurant, paid his $250 — and got a Wine Spectator award. And he even included a bunch of low-scoring wines on his list! Here’s how Goldstein tells it:
Lately, I’ve become curious about how Wine Spectator magazine determines its Awards of Excellence for the world’s best wine restaurants.
As part of the research for an academic paper I’m currently working on about standards for wine awards, I submitted an application for a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. I named the restaurant “Osteria L’Intrepido” (a play on the name of a restaurant guide series that I founded, Fearless Critic). I submitted the fee ($250), a cover letter, a copy of the restaurant’s menu (a fun amalgamation of somewhat bumbling nouvelle-Italian recipes), and a wine list.
Osteria L’Intrepido won the Award of Excellence, as published in print in the August 2008 issue of Wine Spectator.
It’s troubling, of course, that a restaurant that doesn’t exist could win an Award of Excellence. But it’s also troubling that the award doesn’t seem to be particularly tied to the quality of the wine list, even by Wine Spectator’s own standards. Although the main wine list that I submitted was made up of fairly standard Italian-focused selections, Osteria L’Intrepido’s “reserve wine list” was largely chosen from among the lowest-scoring Italian wines in Wine Spectator over the past 20 years.
This Wines & Vines story mentions the budding brouhaha, and says:
Wine Spectator executive editor Thomas Matthews was unaware of the apparent subtrefuge when Wines & Vines phoned today for comment. He declined to comment until the magazine had thoroughly investigated the apparent sting.
My hunch is, this is Mr. Matthews’ nightmare scenario. The credibility of the Spectator’s restaurant awards will almost certainly erode further, and may threaten to become a laughingstock. Safeguards will have to be put into place to guard against such embarrassment in the future, one would think.
That said, no one can argue with the list of Dayton-area restaurants that received the awards. The local recipients all have very fine wine lists.
If and when the Spectator responds to this story, we’ll bring it to you.
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Do beer and wine really mix? Here’s your chance to find out
It’s a debate that has raged since the discovery of fermentation: Do beer and wine really mix?
I can state unequivocally: Absolutely not.. Or, I can state unequivocally: Yes, absolutely.
We journalists are a wishy-washy bunch, aren’t we?
But with AleFest on tap for this weekend, and special beer tastings sandwiching the event, it’s a topic worth, um, further exploration.
In fact, the army of professionals who oversee the Dayton wine listserv noted so many such events that seem to have popped up in recent days, they sent out the following special “midweek wine and beer tastings list” for those who wish to explore the age-old question themselves. Click on “continue reading” to access the list, copied and pasted here with the kind permission of the listserv that compiles it…. Lots going on in just the next few days, on both the beer and wine fronts! (I even added a couple of my own that came in to the ol’ reliable DDN … they’re on top of the listserv’s list).
With the Alefest this weekend, here is a list of the midweek wine and beer tastings.
THAI 9 TO HOST HOPPIN’ FROG BREWMASTER Thai 9 at 11 Brown St., will host a beer dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, featuring the beers of Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron. The dinner will include a three-course meal and samples of eight Hoppin’ Frog brews. Hoppin’ Frog brewmaster Fred Karm will be the special guest. The cost is $30, and reservations are encouraged. For more information, call (937) 222-3227.
The Dublin Pub, 300 Wayne Ave., will host a luncheon featuring several bottlings of Jameson Irish Whiskey at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27. The special guest will be International Jameson Ambassador Sean Noonan. Whiskeys to be served include Jameson, Jameson 12-year, Jameson 18-year, Jameson Gold and Redbreast Single Malt Irish Whiskey. Lunch will include selections of The Dublin Pub’s existing menu, and dessert will be an Irish Cream Cheesecake with an Irish Whiskey glaze. The cost is $25, and reservations are encouraged. For more information, call (937) 224-7822.
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM) Oakwood
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 5-8 Unibroue Beer Tasting - beers in the Belgian style!
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 5-8 pm 2005 Michel Claire et Fille Meursault “Les Pellans” 2005 Bouchard Aloxe Corton 2001 Chateau Saint Martin Coteaux de Languedoc 2005 Clos la Coutale Cahors 2005 Olabisi Syrah
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, August 22, 2008 6-8 pm Flying Dog Brewery $20 Taste 8 to 10 craft beers paired with food. Director of Sales, Jim Lutz, will discuss the beers. Limited to 30. Each guest will receive a Flying Dog pint glass. Tickets should be purchased in advance at the store.
Jays Kitchen Door
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 7 pm $65 Wine Dinner Ragout of Shellfish in a White Wine-Herb Broth with 2005 Rose de Monbousquet Seared Rare Tuna with Arugula-Fennel Salad with Capers, Raisins and Pine Nuts 2005 Latour Montagny LaRoche Crusted Rack of Lamb with Cabernet Mashed Potatoes and Ratatouille with 2005 Smith Haut LaFitte Orange Panna Cotta NV Chateau “U” Creman and 2002 Le Tertre du Lys D’Or Sauterne
RSVP 222-2892 for all Dinners and Luncheons
Arrow Centerville 937-433-6778 615 Lyons Rd Centerville Thursday, August 21, 2008 5-8 pm Tasting of the wines of Chandon, California with Kent Retterer, Ohio Area Sales Manager for Moet Hennessy. Unoaked Chardonnay (still wine) Pinot Noir Carneros (still wine) Pinot Meunier Carneros (still wine) Rose of Pinot Noir (still wine) Blanc de Noirs (sparkling wine) Brut (sparkling wine)
The Wine Gallery and Cafe
Corner of 3rd and Wayne Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:30-8:30 pm 2006 Urban UCO Malbec 2007 Urban UCO Torrontes 2005 Compass Merlot 2006 Penley Condur Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Blend 2004 Stump Jump Red
Trader Joe’s in Kettering.
Tastings Thursday 6:00-8:00 Santa Barbara Landing Chardonnay (2005) AVA Santa Barbara County, California. Pacific Crest Chardonnay (2006) AVA Monterey, California. Pacific Crest Merlot (2005) AVA Paso Robles, California. Beringer Founder’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2005) California.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
937-320-9548 Wine Wednesdays 5pm to 8pm in the bar. Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 ROMBAUER Chardonnay, Carneros, 2006 J. & F. Lurton Red Wine, Douro Barco Negro Portugal, 2005 Panther creek Syrah, Shea Vineyard Willamette Valley, 2004 Rombauer Cabernet, Napa Valley, 2004
Little Sonoma
6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069.513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com Friday August 22, 2008 5-9pm STONE BREWING - PRELUDE TO ALEFEST! 12th Anniversary Ale, the 08-08-08 Verticle Epic, Old Guardian Barleywine, and the ’07 and ’08 vintages of the Imperial Russian Stout with special guest Aaron Tyrell representing the brewery!
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Napa cabs that aren’t behemoths? Who knew?
Okay, I’m kidding with the headline … a little. But it is quite refreshing to read Eric Asimov’s piece in the New York Times entitled “In Napa, Some Wineries Choose the Old Route”.
Let’s hope Napa winemakers don’t lurch from one extreme end of the extraction/alcohol/oak/ripeness spectrum to the other, or we’ll all be drinking green pepper cabs. But a move to the center, toward a more balanced approach, would certainly, certainly be welcome, don’t you think?
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