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The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr., and the Reign of American Taste – The Authoritative Biography: 25 Years of Influence and Controversy
This is the story of how an American lawyer raised on Coca-Cola caused a revolution in the way wines around the globe are made, sold, and talked about. The world's most influential wine critic, Robert M. Parker, Jr., has dominated the international wine community for the last quarter century, embodying the triumph of American taste. Using Parker's story as a springboard, author Elin McCoy offers an authoritative and unparalleled insider's view of the eccentric personalities, bitter feuds, controversies, and secrets of the wine world. She explains how reputations are made and how and why critics agree and disagree, and she tracks the startling ways wines are judged, promoted, made, and sold -- while painting a fascinating portrait of a modern-day cultural colossus who revolutionized the way the world thinks about wine.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 20, 2021
This was an interesting read but somewhat dated. The period covered deals mainly with Parker's career from the start of his newsletter, The Wine Advocate, up to about the mid-2000s. He has since sold the newsletter and retired. Given his wine preferences, the focus is largely on French wines, in particular those from Bordeaux and later on those from California. We learn very little about his thinking on other major wine-making areas like Italy, Spain, Australia or South America. Nonetheless, the book ends up giving the reader some great insights into French wine-making and French wine-makers. We can thank (or not!) Parker for what is now the ubiquitous point scoring system. The same goes for the long-standing public preference for big, robust fruit-bombs, such was his influence for 30 years or so. The author does offer up some of the criticisms of Parker's scoring system as well as his rather narrow range of flavour preferences. However, the pace of the book falters toward the end, just as Parker begins to encounter resistance to his opinions and falters in his position of dominance and influence; more about that would have really been interesting! A lengthy bibliography is included as well as a short, but informative glossary of terms.
December 18, 2016
In a conversation at a macro-tasting the other day, the rhetorical question was asked about why do so many punters just stick to the same (often not particularly distinguished) wine? The answer fairly jumped to my lips without stopping for reflection, it seemed so obvious: fear. Wine is frightening to the uninitiated. Even to the fairly initiated, it can be pretty terrifying. Prices that multiply exponentially, things you need to know about how to smell it and taste it, lest you get saddled with a corked bottle… And yet, its attractions once someone "has the budget" or knows the ropes are there for all to see. What people want is someone who can help them overcome the initial hurdles. When it comes to expensive wines, this is even more important. That someone for many wine buyers at all levels is currently Robert Parker, the rather controversial "Emperor" of the title.
This biography opens with Parker as a young law student who had practically never drunk wine before he was 21, going to visit his girlfriend when she was studying in France and being bowled over by the house wine at a cheap restaurant. The start of a beautiful friendship, indeed. It turns out this young, forthright, burly American had a nose in a million and hadn't known it before. That he also had an incredible memory made him a wine tasting machine, who now, more than 40 years later, has come to revolutionise the world of wine in a way that no one ever has before.
The early 1980s saw a spreading of wine culture past its formerly tightly-held class lines. Wine knowledge was thus democratised, "home truths" were questioned, and Parker, telling it like it is, arrived at just the right time. Untainted by advertising or corporate ties, but on the other hand deeply enthusiastic, he was able to pass on the excitement of wine to this new audience. In a few short years, he became the main authority on wine, but it didn't happen without a serious work ethic. Parker worked extremely hard and created a perfect vessel for his straight shooting opinions: the Wine Advocate. What happened next is essentially the subtext of this book: Parker won the Midas touch for himself, the power to make and break wines, a responsibility he had never really sought. Add to this extraordinary situation the fact that he hates to be criticised in any shape, way or form, and you have a dramatic result, a thin-skinned Midas from the supposed bête noire (the US) of the country whose wines he so loves (France) forced to serve as the Emperor's thumb in those gladiatorial terroirs and doomed to have not just his brickbats (or even faint praise) efficiently converted into commercial death but his enthusiastic praise turned immediately into highly inflated prices: precisely what he had wanted to avoid when he set out with his earnest criticisms of overpriced wines.
Some odd tense choices aside, switching between past perfect and past simple and present tenses without it being very clear why, this is a fairly engagingly-written account by one of the few people who could write This way about Parker after having seen him at close quarters throughout his whole career. And being American herself, but decidedly not a fan of the kind of dogmatic sententiousness and self-righteousness that can come from someone feeling their power not to have been sufficiently acknowledged, she is able to sum up the pros and cons of Parker very well, as well as providing a neat primer on certain aspects of winemaking and the wine business in general. Indeed, this serves as a pretty good overview of what has occurred since the 1970s and how the US, with its large consumer base and a lightning rod like Parker, has been able to exert so much influence on what the Old World does now with its wines.
This biography opens with Parker as a young law student who had practically never drunk wine before he was 21, going to visit his girlfriend when she was studying in France and being bowled over by the house wine at a cheap restaurant. The start of a beautiful friendship, indeed. It turns out this young, forthright, burly American had a nose in a million and hadn't known it before. That he also had an incredible memory made him a wine tasting machine, who now, more than 40 years later, has come to revolutionise the world of wine in a way that no one ever has before.
The early 1980s saw a spreading of wine culture past its formerly tightly-held class lines. Wine knowledge was thus democratised, "home truths" were questioned, and Parker, telling it like it is, arrived at just the right time. Untainted by advertising or corporate ties, but on the other hand deeply enthusiastic, he was able to pass on the excitement of wine to this new audience. In a few short years, he became the main authority on wine, but it didn't happen without a serious work ethic. Parker worked extremely hard and created a perfect vessel for his straight shooting opinions: the Wine Advocate. What happened next is essentially the subtext of this book: Parker won the Midas touch for himself, the power to make and break wines, a responsibility he had never really sought. Add to this extraordinary situation the fact that he hates to be criticised in any shape, way or form, and you have a dramatic result, a thin-skinned Midas from the supposed bête noire (the US) of the country whose wines he so loves (France) forced to serve as the Emperor's thumb in those gladiatorial terroirs and doomed to have not just his brickbats (or even faint praise) efficiently converted into commercial death but his enthusiastic praise turned immediately into highly inflated prices: precisely what he had wanted to avoid when he set out with his earnest criticisms of overpriced wines.
Some odd tense choices aside, switching between past perfect and past simple and present tenses without it being very clear why, this is a fairly engagingly-written account by one of the few people who could write This way about Parker after having seen him at close quarters throughout his whole career. And being American herself, but decidedly not a fan of the kind of dogmatic sententiousness and self-righteousness that can come from someone feeling their power not to have been sufficiently acknowledged, she is able to sum up the pros and cons of Parker very well, as well as providing a neat primer on certain aspects of winemaking and the wine business in general. Indeed, this serves as a pretty good overview of what has occurred since the 1970s and how the US, with its large consumer base and a lightning rod like Parker, has been able to exert so much influence on what the Old World does now with its wines.
January 17, 2008
WINE GEEK ALERT. This may be a tough, slow read if you're not into: a.)Wine b.)Business of wine or c.)The influence of criticism. If you're into 1 or more of the 3 then you should read Elin McCoy's bio on the world's most powerful critic of any kind, the Man of Monkton, the big boy of Baltimore, Robert M. Parker, Jr. (not Robert B. Parker, the author). Basically Parker's blessing can help a chateau in Bordeaux sell millions of dollars of wine in hours. It can convert a fledgling cooperative in a backwater Spanish town into a thriving, modern business. Conversely, it can also make the world of wine a good bit more homogenized, numericized and dull. Read, drink and reach your own conclusions.
For the french speakers who are interested in all this, you will definitely want to pick up a copy of Nossiter's Gout et Le Pouvoir which tackles the same issues, albeit in a much more opinionated, adversarial approach.
For the french speakers who are interested in all this, you will definitely want to pick up a copy of Nossiter's Gout et Le Pouvoir which tackles the same issues, albeit in a much more opinionated, adversarial approach.
May 6, 2025
# The Emperor Has No Clothes (Just a Really Good Nose)
Robert Parker Jr. walks into a room, sniffs a glass of fermented grape juice, and suddenly your $10 bottle is worth $500. Or worthless. Such is the bizarre power chronicled in Elin McCoy's "The Emperor of Wine," a deliciously gossipy yet substantive look at how one man's palate came to rule the wine world with the iron fist of a 100-point scoring system.
McCoy takes us on a journey from Parker's humble Maryland beginnings to his ascension as the world's most influential wine critic—a man whose numerical ratings could make châteaux owners weep with joy or despair. It's a tale that would be utterly preposterous if it weren't absolutely true: a former lawyer with no formal wine training who somehow convinced the entire wine establishment to bow before his taste buds.
The book reveals how Parker's consumer-advocate approach and anti-elitist stance ironically created a new form of elitism. His preference for bold, fruit-forward wines reshaped global winemaking, with producers from Bordeaux to Napa Valley adjusting their techniques to please his palate—a phenomenon McCoy dubs "Parkerization." One almost expects to find scratch-and-sniff pages of overripe blackberries and vanilla oak.
What makes McCoy's account particularly fascinating is how she captures the paradox of Parker's influence: the everyman who became a king, the outsider who became the ultimate insider, the consumer advocate whose opinions drove prices into the stratosphere. The wine world's relationship with Parker emerges as a complex love-hate affair, with winemakers simultaneously courting his approval while resenting his power.
The book doesn't shy away from criticism, noting how Parker's numerical system reduced the beautiful complexity of wine to a stark number, flattening regional distinctions and traditional styles in favor of a more homogenized international profile. Yet McCoy also gives Parker his due as a taster of extraordinary ability and unquestionable integrity.
"The Emperor of Wine" is ultimately a cautionary tale about the dangers of concentrated influence, even when wielded with the best intentions. It's also a reminder that taste—that most subjective of senses—can somehow be codified, commodified, and converted into market value.
Like a complex Burgundy, McCoy's book offers layers to contemplate: the American democratization of a traditionally European domain, the double-edged sword of consumer empowerment, and the peculiar celebrity that can emerge from the most unexpected quarters. Parker may have changed how we drink, but McCoy helps us understand how he changed how we think about what we drink.
Whether you're a wine aficionado who can detect notes of "forest floor" and "pencil shavings" or someone who can barely distinguish red from white, "The Emperor of Wine" offers an intoxicating look at how one man's opinion came to matter so much. Just don't expect Parker to give it 100 points.
Robert Parker Jr. walks into a room, sniffs a glass of fermented grape juice, and suddenly your $10 bottle is worth $500. Or worthless. Such is the bizarre power chronicled in Elin McCoy's "The Emperor of Wine," a deliciously gossipy yet substantive look at how one man's palate came to rule the wine world with the iron fist of a 100-point scoring system.
McCoy takes us on a journey from Parker's humble Maryland beginnings to his ascension as the world's most influential wine critic—a man whose numerical ratings could make châteaux owners weep with joy or despair. It's a tale that would be utterly preposterous if it weren't absolutely true: a former lawyer with no formal wine training who somehow convinced the entire wine establishment to bow before his taste buds.
The book reveals how Parker's consumer-advocate approach and anti-elitist stance ironically created a new form of elitism. His preference for bold, fruit-forward wines reshaped global winemaking, with producers from Bordeaux to Napa Valley adjusting their techniques to please his palate—a phenomenon McCoy dubs "Parkerization." One almost expects to find scratch-and-sniff pages of overripe blackberries and vanilla oak.
What makes McCoy's account particularly fascinating is how she captures the paradox of Parker's influence: the everyman who became a king, the outsider who became the ultimate insider, the consumer advocate whose opinions drove prices into the stratosphere. The wine world's relationship with Parker emerges as a complex love-hate affair, with winemakers simultaneously courting his approval while resenting his power.
The book doesn't shy away from criticism, noting how Parker's numerical system reduced the beautiful complexity of wine to a stark number, flattening regional distinctions and traditional styles in favor of a more homogenized international profile. Yet McCoy also gives Parker his due as a taster of extraordinary ability and unquestionable integrity.
"The Emperor of Wine" is ultimately a cautionary tale about the dangers of concentrated influence, even when wielded with the best intentions. It's also a reminder that taste—that most subjective of senses—can somehow be codified, commodified, and converted into market value.
Like a complex Burgundy, McCoy's book offers layers to contemplate: the American democratization of a traditionally European domain, the double-edged sword of consumer empowerment, and the peculiar celebrity that can emerge from the most unexpected quarters. Parker may have changed how we drink, but McCoy helps us understand how he changed how we think about what we drink.
Whether you're a wine aficionado who can detect notes of "forest floor" and "pencil shavings" or someone who can barely distinguish red from white, "The Emperor of Wine" offers an intoxicating look at how one man's opinion came to matter so much. Just don't expect Parker to give it 100 points.
May 13, 2025
A remarkably detailed chronicle of the rise and impact of one of the most influential figures in the wine industry. Parker’s influence remains undeniable to this day, since he helped to shape how the average consumer selects wine through a simple rating system that quantifies perceived quality and value for money. While this method has its critics, and his dominant palate arguably led to inflated prices and even bankruptcy for some châteaux, it nevertheless serves as a clear illustration of how the industry operates.
The author does an excellent job of tracing Parker’s steps across the Bordeaux region, which was a particularly amusing experience for someone who has worked near many of the domaines mentioned. Though some passages are overly detailed and at times repetitive, the book offered a valuable learning journey.
The final question remains: will we ever see another wine emperor? In an era driven by niche influencers, viral trends, and aggressive marketing, it's hard to imagine anyone matching the authority once held by the man who shaped, for so many years, the willingness to pay of an entire generation of wine drinkers.
The author does an excellent job of tracing Parker’s steps across the Bordeaux region, which was a particularly amusing experience for someone who has worked near many of the domaines mentioned. Though some passages are overly detailed and at times repetitive, the book offered a valuable learning journey.
The final question remains: will we ever see another wine emperor? In an era driven by niche influencers, viral trends, and aggressive marketing, it's hard to imagine anyone matching the authority once held by the man who shaped, for so many years, the willingness to pay of an entire generation of wine drinkers.
May 3, 2023
I know some about the wines of Southern Oregon: the histories, vineyards, wineries, winemakers and grape growers. And I know some about the era that Elin McCoy writes of, when Robert Parker found his niche, amplified his voice and established a rating scale for the best wines of the world. What I didn't really know much about was Robert Parker. So, McCoy's work is a revelation of sorts. She opened my mind to what actually was happening elsewhere during the period I've invested in here in Southern Oregon. She's made me curious about how Parker influenced the wines we make here in Oregon. And she's made me interested in tasting "great" wines, though my palate my pocketbook) doesn't run to Parker's monstrous reds. I also have a better understanding of the Slow Wine movement and Italy's entrance over the last couple of years into the American showcase event market, and why it is so important that our winemakers taste widely.
May 25, 2019
An interesting profile of a very driven, very certain, flawed man whose taste in wine has shaped the international wine market in ways both good and bad. McCoy's personal opinion of Parker shifted drastically from almost worshipful to castigation and back again, and she never did seem to make up her mind whether he's the patron saint of wine or a stubborn old wine snob who makes and breaks entire wineries on a whim. I thought the point system was more of a vote from multiple experts and averaged sort of thing, so it's good to know that it's based on one dude's preferences. I likely won't put nearly as much stock in it as I did when I thought it was a more democratic process.
June 5, 2019
While a comprehensive and even in some ways critical biography of Robert Parker, this book could have been more narratively driven in my opinion. I learned much about wine and its rise in America. I just wished that alongside that learning I had learned a bit more about what others surrounding Parker thought of him (including the author of the biography). When the author's voice did come through, I found the book more compelling.
June 4, 2024
An interesting and well-researched book about an entrepreneur who made a splash in the wine world. If you enjoy business and wine, you'll admire the grit, hard work and determination of Robert M. Parker, Jr. You'll also learn a lesson on how being such a visible and respected expert in any particular field can add a target to one's back as well.
May 5, 2018
This is mostly about the politics of criticism, without as much biography or wine as I would have hoped. I still learned something, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting from the blurb when I bought it.
January 4, 2019
Interesting book on Robert Parker. Tells the history rise and challenges he faced. The book tries to show both sides of the story.
June 4, 2019
Pretty interesting to learn about Parker's background and his influence in the wine industry. I'd say this one has a specific audience, so not a general read. As a wine enthusiast, I liked it.
February 16, 2017
This book would be of interest to wine lovers and aficionados, but would be a bit dense for others just looking for an interesting biography. No one has had more influence on the modern wine world than Robert Parker. He invented the 100 point scoring system which is used throughout the industry and encourages people to purchase one wine over another. Although I don't share the same palate for the higher alcohol, full bodied rich wines that tend to attract the Parker higher scores, there is no denying that he provides information to help "would be" buyers make purchases. The book highlights how much of a polarizing force Parker has been, and his overbearing arrogance is felt through the story.
April 4, 2016
Parker is a giant of the wine world, a revolutionary who has left his mark on the industry for decades to come. It's ironic how in his quest to get everyone to focus on what is in the bottle and how it tastes rather than on pedigree he simultaneously accomplished this and promoted what he opposed. He didn't believe in investing in wine but his scores pushed investments in wine that he rated highly. He didn't believe in the elitism and the status centric wine world but he rose to the top and wielded immense power. He wanted wine making methods to be a certain way and wanted to promote all kinds of wine and wine makers but through his scoring pushed the industry toward his preferred palate even though he believes he is not that way. An amazing man and a great legacy even if controversial. I appreciate and understand the scoring system better now and hopefully can use it as a guideline as Parker would prefer rather than as a way to find "the best" to impress others. Just find what you like and enjoy, that's what wine is all about!
August 18, 2008
A very interesting look at the power now wielded by one wine critic, Robert Parker, who "revolutionized" the wine rating world with his 100 point rating system and his "uber-palate." This is a good and balanced look at this controversial figure who has done a lot for the wine business. The small problem is in the writing; the author interjects herself at random times ("as I pulled up to the house", "as he told me", etc.) that interferes with the objectivity going on. Of course he told you that, of course you were there. She also makes some rather sexist comments (e.g., Parker didn't have a road map, "a guy thing?"; Parker grilled meat well: "like all men?") that are entirely unnecessary in the narrative and drop the level of reporting on this unique personage.
August 16, 2012
a very interesting read. I'm not a wine drinker at all, so I read it mainly because I enjoy bio's of different people. This was a very well written book that, at 300 pages, could have been trimmed by about 50 pages (you can only read some many descriptions of him tasting wine and how he rated them "full bodied" "bold" etc. However, this was a very objective write up on how he achieved the premier status as an evaluator of wine, and at the end did discuss what I'd been wondering throughout....how come he seems to rate wines based on his personal preference while not acknowledging that other wine lovers might like different qualities in their choices.
at any rate, I'd say this is a must read if you really like wines, but it's also a good read on general principles.
at any rate, I'd say this is a must read if you really like wines, but it's also a good read on general principles.
March 10, 2010
If you are even a casual wine drinker, chances are that you've probably heard of Robert Parker, who is currently, arguably, the most powerful wine critic in the world. This book is a very balanced and smartly written book that follows Parker's rise from humble, small town USA beginnings to eventually become the most powerful critic in the rarefied world of wine.
Along the way, you'll get a lot of insider tidbits into the major wine regions (particularly in France and CA), the major players in the wine industry and the evolution of the industry as a whole. If you love biographies and/or wine, this book is for you.
Along the way, you'll get a lot of insider tidbits into the major wine regions (particularly in France and CA), the major players in the wine industry and the evolution of the industry as a whole. If you love biographies and/or wine, this book is for you.
April 23, 2015
Since I started "getting into wine", I've been fascinated by Robert Parker and his rating system. I've been especially curious as to why so many consumers put so much stock in it. While the book doesn't really answer that question, it does do a thorough job of chronicling RP's rise in the wine world . . . from his humble beginnings (never knew he was a lawyer) to his role as Supreme Dictator to many followers - essentially telling them what wines they will, and will not, enjoy. I'm all for guidance, but I'd rather discover which wines I like on my own - as opposed taking someone else's word/opinion for it.
January 10, 2009
Interesting read for those who want to know how wine ratings on the 100 point scale came about. If anything, this further confirmed my distate for these ratings and the unfair influence it has on the consumer. It was amazing to see how he started as literally a nobody in rural Maryland to the most respected wine critic today. Worth a read for people who are interesting in the consumer side of wine.
February 15, 2014
...excellent book which addresses, among other things, the then controversial point system he devised which is now an industry standard...the seamy underside of wine and wine-making is taken to task and the circuitous and often difficult route that took Parker from Baltimore to Bordeaux makes for enjoyable reading , wino or not...this book along with "The House of Mondavi" makes for some very enjoyable and educational oenological daydreaming...I rate it a 94 on the Parker Scale...
February 22, 2007
Parker himself isn't, like, THAT interesting, but the book is reccomended for its survey of the evolution of the wine world in recend decades. Besides, well-written, well-researched, and entertaining.
November 6, 2008
A good read to get to know about Parker and how he became who he is. However, got quite boring in parts and took me a long time to read since I was bored with it. Definitely learned a lot that I didn't know about.
January 25, 2009
Wow. A complete job done by the author, Elin McCoy on the life of Robert Parker, Jr. If you like wine, then this is a must read to understand how one man grew from nowhere to the pinnacle of the wine industry. His rating format is the standard.
January 13, 2011
Amazing how one man could change an industry just by chance and the right amount of hustle.
As for a biography it gives a pretty good understanding of what played out, even if the reader knows only a little about wine.
As for a biography it gives a pretty good understanding of what played out, even if the reader knows only a little about wine.
August 23, 2013
Interesting, albeit a bit repetitive. The author inserted herself into the story about halfway through, which I find distracting. (Either be there or not, don't switch between third-person narration and first-person!)
June 1, 2012
Must-read for the wine geek. No critic has done more to codify the process of rating wines - that can be good or bad, depending on your view. The biography could have been much more tightly written - about a hundred pages shorter would have made the point.
February 27, 2013
a very good book on his early life and rise to fame as wine legend. I found the stories of his past, travels a great biography and found the detail remarkable, a great read for wine fans, explains the history of points system and American influence on wine world.
September 21, 2012
An interesting insight into Robert Parker, Jr. and the world of wine. Covers both his personal and professional life. Recommended for those who are serious about their wine. Great insight into ratings and such.
January 15, 2016
Balanced and human vignette
I wasn't familiar with Robert Parker before reading this book, so I was looking for just enough detail without getting overwhelmed. Not the definitive biography but it clearly doesn't set out to be. Nice work on a polarizing figure.
I wasn't familiar with Robert Parker before reading this book, so I was looking for just enough detail without getting overwhelmed. Not the definitive biography but it clearly doesn't set out to be. Nice work on a polarizing figure.
September 26, 2016
An inside account of the rise of the man who introduced Americans to wine and become one of the most influential critics in any field. Gossipy anecdotes combined with lots of great information about the hierarchy of the French chateaus and how wine is made and sold make this book a winner.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews