Atkin’s Observer column slashed

Tim Atkin MW’s weekly column in Sunday newspaper the Observer will be radically reduced from the end of this month.

The popular page, which Atkin has written since 1993, will go down to three wine recommendations a week.

Atkin (pictured) will continue to have a presence in the paper’s colour magazine Observer Food Monthly.

Atkin is one of the UK’s best-known wine writers, with a clutch of awards to his name, including 2009 Louis Roederer International Wine Columnist of the Year and five Glenfiddich Awards. He has won Champagne Lanson Wine Writer of the Year four times.

He writes frequently for Decanter.

He told decanter.com, ‘I am sad that The Observer has decided to reduce the scope of its wine coverage at a time when people need reliable advice more than ever. I will miss the challenge of writing what was (I hope) an engaging, informed and entertaining piece each week.’

An Observer spokesperson said, ‘I can confirm that Tim Atkin will continue to write for the Observer and his wine column will feature in OFM each month. His wine recommendations will continue to feature each week in Observer Magazine.’

The Observer’s decision to cut its wine coverage is not without precedent: other newspapers have cut their wine coverage over the past few years.

In March 2009 Joanna Simon ceased writing on wine for the Sunday Times when her long-running wine column was taken in-house. Richard Ehrlich’s wine column for the Independent on Sunday was also cut.

Atkin’s last full length Observer wine column will appear on 14 February.

• A Facebook campaign named Save the wine column, created in support of Tim Atkin’s column, has amassed over 800 members.Follow us on TwitterWritten by Jim Budd