Parker influence, maybe too much

Robert Parker has been influencing the wine industry since 1975 but has his personal taste taken some wine makers too far? At least one person things so.

Adam Tolmach of Ojai Vineyard told the Los Angeles Times that his wines had "lost their rudder" in trying to please the palate of the American wine guru [Robert Parker]. He continued saying "I'd stopped drinking my own wines." Tolmach, who has made wine for 25 years, admits that although he got the scores he wanted, he found his wines moving further away from his own tastes. Moving forward Tolmach says he is looking to harvest his grapes earlier and pick less-ripe grapes in the search for balance.

This could be the beginning of a trend away from high-alcohol big wines toward something more drinkable with or without food.