The days of the print-based US wine writer are numbered, according to Decanter columnist Linda Murphy.
Writing in Decanter this month, the former wine correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle points out that with the rise of the internet combined the current economic crisis the number of print publications that include wine coverage are dwindling fast.
In March, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer went entirely online and the Rocky Mountain News in Denver was forced to close – both had regular wine columns.
In January this year, the San Francisco Chronicle, which had the only stand-alone wine section in the United States, made the decision to merge its wine, beer and spirits content into a combined food and wine section.
Corie Brown, the award-winning wine writer for the Los Angeles Times, was made redundant late last year and Jerry Shriver, the long-time wine critic for USA Today, has been taken off wine writing duties and reassigned to entertainment news.
Lettie Teague, executive wine editor for Food & Wine magazine has also been made redundant, although she will continue her column, Wine Matters, on a freelance basis.
UK wine writers need to beware of a similar fate, warns Jane MacQuitty, wine critic for The Times.
'What the US does today, the UK does tomorrow. Sadly, wine continues to be perceived as a luxury and as a drink for toffs. In a recession, newspaper editors tend to hang onto their gardening columns, cookery writers and the like but wine somehow is always the first to be axed,' says MacQuitty.
'Let's hope that British newspapers take a pro wine stand and refuse to follow the US's lead.'
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Ah, sad but true. But The problem here is less about wine writers per se than about the demise of the broadsheet newspaper and the economics of keeping them around. Of course, those of us wine writers who've always been “published” mostly on the web are pleased, still, that we can reach thousands or millions at a low or no cost. And talented writers like Jerry Shriver, a fellow Ohio boy (shout out!) and Corie Brown will always find a home.
David Gaier
This trend is certainly not in evidence in Australia. Every newspaper, and indeed, the lifestyle supplements included with these newspapers include articles on wine. New winery's have been opening at the rate of about 100 per year for some years, and while many of these are unprofitable or at best marginal, the trend continues for the trade and investors to seek new geographic and topographic regions which offer the promise of even higher quality grape growing conditions.
Just how does a “Wine and Food” magazine survive having fired its executive wine editor? Australia's wines continue to improve, and we all want to know about what is happening. In recent years, the reduction in oak in many of our chardonnay's leading to far more elegant styles and the rise of a host of cool climate pinots, many of which would make the good folk of Burgundy to weep with envy has promoted even more interest in quality wines.
Most of my friends have given gardening away in their retirement, and are much more focussed on keeping abreast of the trends in the quality end of the Australian wine industry and this trend in reflected in media attention to wine. It has been noted by some visiting experts that Australians are generally better informed about wine than most other wine drinking nations.
In addition, their has been another trend in wine information and education; that of the emailed wine newsletter both from many wineries and wine retailers offering online purchases. Indeed, the most comprehensive wine reviews now come by email from these retailers, some of which are operated by serious wine judges.
In the current economic conditions, fine wine is generally less expensive here than in recent times. This year's Jimmy Watson Trophy winner [The Royal Melbourne Wine show's famous trophy for the best one year old red wine in Australia] came from the Flamtree Winery in Margaret River, and was available retail for less than $25 ! A far cry from many previous winners which doubled their price on winning this trophy.
Given that the French Government seems hell bent in destroying its own wine industry, your subscribers may in future be getting their most comprehensive reviews on the Australian wine imports into the UK and USA from Australian sources, almost all of which are available online.
Ivan Watt, Sydney, Australia
If I remember correctly, Sarah Kemp wrote a leading article on this very subject in Decanter a least a year ago. Sadly, on this occasion, this proves to be a case of the UK leading the US!
Philip Styles, St.Gaudent, France
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