Following Bob Campbell’s and my postings on the criticism recently directed by New Zealand winemaker Michael Glover against wine writers who charge for reviews, we at The Real Review thought it necessary to name names. We think we owe it to the reader to complete the story and mention those of whom we are aware, who charge for reviewing wine – at least in our part of the world.
I believe this is a fairly rare thing. It may also happen in other countries but I’m not aware of it.
A slur against any individual in the trade is also a slur against the trade in general. It risks undermining the confidence readers can have in what we all write.
Of course charging for reviews does not automatically mean the review is any less credible, but it does raise the question.
There’s a list below of three New Zealand people who charge for reviews. One of them, Sam Kim, doesn’t claim to be a wine journalist but a consultant with 20 years’ experience, who provides a paid service to wineries. His website declares this, but the problem is, his scores and reviews are used by retailers and others without any disclosure.
- Sam Kim / Wine Orbit, NZ$34 per reviewed wine, http://www.wineorbit.co.nz/trade_section
- Raymond Chan, NZ$37.95 per wine, http://www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz/how-to-submit-wines-for-review/how-to-submit-wines-for-review
- Michael Cooper, NZ$50 per reviewed wine, http://michaelcooper.co.nz/mcfas/
(NB. this is for ‘fast access’. As I understand it, Cooper does not charge for most reviews, only for a speedy turnaround. See apology to Michael Cooper)
For an interesting interview on New Zealand radio with Michael Glover, Sam Kim and wine writer Jo Burzynska, chair of the NZ wine writers’ association, go to http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201804405