Can you trust a wine retailer's recommendation? They are, after all, in the business of selling wine and one presumes that a wine they have on their shelves can't be ignored, let alone dissed by them.
This is the question at the heart of a very interesting story in the LA Times by Jerry Hirsch that focuses on Wilfred Wong, Beverage & More's Online Cellarmaster and the person who reviews wines exclusively for BevMo and who's reviews and ratings show up on shelf talkers at BevMo.
I've worked with Mr. Wong. I know him. I've judged with him at competitions. Let me say up front that this man has a killer palate. It's perceptive, educated, experienced and nuanced.
Nevertheless, the question remains, can a retailer review of a wine it is carrying be trusted? And this is the underlying issue inside the LA Times article. It should be noted that this is not the first time Wilfred and his job as BevMo's wine rater in chief has been covered in the media. Last year the SF Chronicle did a story focusing on Wilfred that touched on the issue
The answer to the question is Yes, a retailer's rating can be trusted.
If one is going to discount the objectivity of Wilfred's notes and ratings, then one is obliged to discount any and all ratings and reviews any retailer, anywhere in the world provides for a wine they carry in their store. If this is the perspective one is going to take, then the skeptic would at least ask the the retailer's rating be written and determined by someone who is not focused on wine buying at the store.
That's exactly the situation with Wilfred Wong. He does not report to BevMo's buyers.
This had to be a touchy PR situation for the folks at BevMo and I think they acquitted themselves well. Calling into question the objectivity of a rating system, be it a retailers or publishers, is just about the worst thing that can happen. Every publisher of wine scores knows this. This is also why I've always viewed those who claim the Wine Spectator skews its scores toward advertisers as simply not looking at the big picture. Do the mental exercise. Imagine the Wine Spectator or Wine & Spirits being caught red handed manipulating scores to give bigger numbers to advertisers. How would you react?...OK....Now, how would others react...OK....Now, what happens when a wine publication's reviews no longer have any credibility? Is there anything a publisher could do that would be dumber than skew scores for advertisers?
If one chose not to trust BevMo's Wilfred Wong-rated wines, I'd want to know specifically why? I want to know upon what basis they believed them compromised. Without such a detailed explanation then I'd prefer to stick with what I know: BevMo made a very smart moving hiring one of the best palates in California.
