After their much critized plans to allow other grapevarieties in Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino, the Consorzio of Brunello di Montalcino decided to let some journalists taste the new vintage of Brunello before the others at the regular Anteprima tasting Benvenuto Brunello.
Many colleagues reacted, including Franco Ziliani, Anne Serres, Tom Hyland, Tim Atkin, Wojciech Bonkowski, Juancho Asenjo, Kerin O’Keefe, Herve Lalau, Eckhard Supp, Jeremy Parzen and Charles Scicolone, so far, not one applauding the Co…nsorzio’s choice and making all kind of comparisons with, for instance, the Bordeaux Primeur Circus. I like to add my personal feelings.
Some call it a clever PR-campaign, you can also call it a cheap cry for attention.
Some call it business, you can also call it selling your soul.
Some call it marketing, you can also call it prostitution.
I think it’s wrong to offer yourself to the bidders who promises the highest scores.
If a desperate heroine prostitute offers her body for the cheapest price, you can/should say ‘no’.
The ones really not to be trusted are the ones who take advantage of someone else’s weakness.
In my opinion, people who choose not to participate in Benvenuto Brunello, have every right to taste the wines as well, but AFTER the other ones have finished Benvenuto Brunello. By not attending Benvenuto Brunello, I think they give up their rights to taste at an early stage and should not be awarded for their lack of respect for their colleagues by giving them even more rights and priviliges.
I like private lunches with the winemaker’s family at wineries, I detest lush dinners with PR-bunnies.
I do accept an occasional bottle of wine, I do not accept cases, luxury gifts or cheap primeurs.
I choose not to participate in the Bordeaux Primeur Circus and the exorbitant dinners at some of the Chateaux, because I don’t believe in ‘the new clothes of the emperor’.
I don’t believe in ‘all wine writers are equal, but some are more equal than others’.
I’m not a saint, but do have a conscience and can and do say ‘no’ often enough.
I try to be an independent, honest, positive wine critic, not a employee or slave of any producer or Consorzio.
I don’t want to punish many hard working people in Montalcino by not tasting their wines.
I do think it’s important that these producers know, what we think of the new strategy of the Consorzio, which does/should act on their behalf.
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