TURNING A CRITICAL EYE ON WINE CRITICS.... by Oliver Styles

The prominence of wine both for drinking and investment has spawned an entire industry of wine critics and journalists with their own trade publications, magazines and websites that regularly taste and score wines.

A number of these critics have become extremely influential in their fields and hold a great deal of power as taste-makers and validators, able to make or break a new wine before it ever comes to market. The ratings of these critics have an observable effect on market prices for fine wine.