Certifying wine writers and keeping the riff raff out of the business

Imagine the Wine Curmudgeon's shock and surprise when he read this:

"In all honesty, I think most readers would prefer to learn from those that were educated in a specialized field (wine) and those that have real hands on experience (at a restaurants, wineries, sales positions, winemaking and such) rather than learning from those that were taught to write prose (journalism) while learning about wine on the job."

The quote comes from a post on the Enobytes wine blog, which regularly ranks among the top blogs in the business. It was written by Pamela Heiligenthal, who co-founded the blog and has an impressive list of credentials after her name, including a couple of wine certifications. It generated tremendous comment (almost 80 the last time I checked) and a fair number of them agreed with Heiligenthal.

That doesn't mean, however, that her premise makes any sense. In fact, it is flat out wrong. Why, after the jump:

Heiligenthal's premise? There's a lot of junk being written about wine on the Internet by people who don't know what they're writing about. So, if wine writers are certified, then the junk will go away.

I don't know Heiligenthal (though, apparently, I'm going to meet her in 10 days on a wine trip), and I'm sure she means well. But good intentions don't make up for bad ideas, no matter how you phrase them. And this is a bad idea. I'll skip the obvious part about enforcing such a completely un-enforceable concept, including the bit about the First Amendment to the Constitution. This is the United States, and anyone can write about anything they want without getting permission. Or that, given her reasoning, I'm not qualified to do this.

It's a bad idea for lots of other reasons.

• Certification is no guarantee of quality, and non-certification is no guarantee of non-quality. I have met people who write about wine with all sorts of initials after their name whose palates are non-existent and who can't tell the difference between a sentence and a corkscrew. And some of the best, most knowledgeable wine writers I know are not certified. The legendary Diane Teitelbaum, who helped me get started in this business and knows more about wine than most people know they need to know, is not certified.

• Heiligenthal compares wine writing, as a skill, with occupations that require licensing or certification, like law and financial planning. This is certainly not a valid comparison; wine writing in no way is as important as law or financial planning, and doesn't deserve the same consideration.

• Why certify wine writers if we aren't going to certify movie reviewers and restaurant critics? Heiligenthal spends some time on this, and concludes that the best restaurant critics have worked in the restaurant business. Which means that someone like Mark Bittman, who may be the best food writer in the country, isn't qualified to do his job?

• Wine writing is not just one, clean, neat subject. It's thousands of subjects, and who's to say what's more important than another? Am I less of a wine writer because I specialize in $10 wine and regional wine? Or can I only be certified if I write about "acceptable" subjects?

• Heiligenthal seems to imply that writing skill is, in some way, a detriment to what she considers quality wine writing. I'm baffled by this (and maybe I've misunderstood it). Is Hemingway less of a novelist because he writes well?

Again, I'm sure Heiligenthal means well. The Internet has removed many of the barriers to wine writing, and it's a scary place where here be dragons. Even I, for all of my contrariness, can see the appeal of a world where everyone accepted that I was one of the best, and where I didn't have to worry about finding an audience or being successful. But that's not how the world works. We live in a marketplace of ideas, where everyone has their say. The people who say the most intelligent things over the long run squeeze out the people who say stupid things.

And the Wine Curmudgeon wouldn't have it any other way.

More about the conundrum of wine writing:
• Robert Parker and the Vintners Hall of Fame
• Wine writing: Does it make a difference?
• Cheap wine, consumers, and good reporting
• Wine writing, and what's wrong with it

Comments

[Alfonso]

Thanks for bringing this post to our attention. I keep thinking about Bill Gates. Mixed feelings on this subject. Is it too early to eat some oysters and taste some wine?

[Zinhead]

I have to agree with you. I took the WSET diploma which sadly I did not complete. The person who was "teaching" us how to taste was a former somm, WSET diploma grad and an MW candidate and a complete idiot. The entire room smells brett except him then goes on to say how he's educated so knows it all. Bullshit. Education sometimes can be a detriment. Some of my favorite writers on the web are not certified. I'd take their word anyday. Good post!

[Jeff Siegel]

It is never too early for oysters and wine. I have some riesling that would work nicely. I will never understand, as Zinhead points out, why so many people in the wine business think they are the only ones who know anything.

[Jason Phelps]

That article certainly got a lot of attention. The premise was poorly articulated if the follow-up comments are to be believed to represent the true intentions. That is too bad because the idea that some type of experience when wielded by sensible people who are working in a confident space is quite good.

Jason

[Arthur]

Yes, let's not do anything.
That is always the best solution.

education+certification+sensory chops+real understanding of wine is a good start

Let's leave philosophy and creative writing out of consumer goods evaluation and replace it with (neurophysiology) and cognitive science.

That will help take wine evaluation out o the realm of alchemy and rest it on real science - the science employed by plenty of producers.

[Jeff Siegel]

The problem with that approach (aside from the First Amendment issues) is that you're saying that only people who have been trained in wine can write about wine. Does that mean that only people who have played baseball can write about baseball? Or that only people who have run for political office can write about politics?

And, given the crappy wine that I taste on a regular basis from well-known, international producers, what makes a producer standard any better?

One must trust the public to sort the wheat from the chaff. It's not only taking advantage of the Wisdom of Crowds (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds/), but it's kind of who we are as Americans and as a culture.

[Vinopro]

Well said Jeff, I was just about to make a similar statement about athletes when your last post popped up. Also love the subtle reference to the first Amendment. Let's face it, wine is so subjective that nobody is qualified to determine what others should like. I've always followed the rule that the best wine in the world is the one you like and the one you can afford. Regardless of how many degrees, certifications or experience one has, it's impossible to speak for everyone.

[Arthur]

To flip your argument:
-tone deaf people can make excellent musicians and composers

-blind people are great photographers

there are certain facts and truths the wine world likes to ignore. one of them is that there is a particular skill and knowledge set required for truly meaningful evaluation of consumer goods. with that lacking (and it is widely lacking) it's just people saying what they like.
In and of itself that is fine. Except what I like may not be what you like and it may not be the best expression of the form...

[Arthur]

Whenever I hear the "wisdom of the masses" arguments ("One must trust the public to sort the wheat from the chaff.")

I look at our economy and the way the public sorted the wheat from the chaff in the consumer credit sector....

[grapemaster]

it's like going to batting school to become a 300 hitter. ain't gonna happen if you are not born a 300 hitter. writing about wine incorporates more skills than solid wine knowledge. how many articles can be written bragging that in a double blind tasting i correctly named every bag's contents, including the schioppettino. wow. now follow that one up with some applicable info, like how to use the wines in your own cellar. most schooled wine writers are flat out boring, and do not contribute to the appeal, the adventure of wine. they make it a dismal science. wine is a beverage, not a numerical liquid. any wine writer i've ever enjoyed has been, well, curmudgeonly.

[Todd - VT Wine Media]

In reference to Alfonso's Bill Gates mention:
As a tech pro for nearly 20 years (with no certifications) I have been dismayed to meet Microsoft Certified System Engineers (MCSE) that passed though a training boot-camp, but in the field, were woefully unprepared for service. Certs can be good indicators of knowlegde and capability, but that guage can vary with the particular brand of certification itself.
As a wine semi-pro, I am pursuing certain certifcations, as a way to help round out my own course of self-education, but that's my own choice, and I know several wine geniuses that get by solely on broad experience.
In the case of wine writing, who would set the curriculum and standards, and how would such a requirement be enforced?
I currently try to cover what is going on with the cold-hardy hybrid developments and wine culture here in Vermont and the Lake Champlain Valley...should I have to wait to be "approved" to write about this topic, or simply wait for the more hallowed to take notice?

[b burnsey]

Nice, strong argument you have presented.
So many variables.
I have spoke with many a person who can quote all of the great wines, vintages, winemakers, etc, but couldn't distinguish a great inexpensive wine if it poured itself into their glass.

[Syd]

This is a JOKE, right?

"Let's leave philosophy and creative writing out of consumer goods evaluation and replace it with (neurophysiology) and cognitive science."

Humans have a variety of human experiences with the 'consumer goods' that are produced by humans. That's loosely called 'life.' Humans then wish to communicate their experiences. Yes, let's make sure that only Ph.Ds are allowed to communicate any experience available to humans...[eye roll]

[W. Blake Gray]

Jeff: Considering that the most popular, powerful wine writer in the history of the planet had no previous industry experience, I think the marketplace has spoken on this discriminatory concept.

[Jeff Siegel]

Yeah, I thought about mentioning that here (I did on my comment on the original post), but I didn't want to turn this into a discussion of He Who Must Be Obeyed (with apologies to the late John Mortimer). And I wonder, Blake, how much support for this subject comes from people who see Parker and what he has accomplished and figure they know more than he does.

[VintageTexas]

Jeff,

Bottom line...I'll certify you and you certify me! Then, everybody will be happy and we can go on writing the stuff we normally do.

Regards,

Russ

[MacDaddy Marc]

"In everything I write, my philosophy is the same: The wine industry tries to intimidate consumers instead of educating them -- and nuts to that".

Jeff, recognize that statement? When you read that then the following statement it really sounds like you two have more in common than differences.

"In all honesty, I think most readers would prefer to learn from those that were educated in a specialized field (wine) and those that have real hands on experience (at a restaurants, wineries, sales positions,winemaking and such) rather than learning from those that were taught to write prose (journalism) while learning about wine on the job."

Experience and Education was the only thing Enobytes was trying to advocate. We do not care who writes about wine. We care about the information the readers receive.

As for you suggesting Enobytes would advocate your First Amendment rights be infringed upon I take great insult in that statement(I was Honorably Discharged from the USAF in 1974) what were you doing? Here are a couple of other facts you and your readers might want to know. Somewhere between 88-98 I sold over $30,000,000.00 in food and wine and have fired at least a dozen newly graduated culinary students in their first week of working with me. Almost that many Tasting Room Associates when I overheard them speaking to guests disseminating false information. I have no wine certifications nor culinary degrees. Although my landmark wine was a 54 Pio Cesare Barolo opened in Memphis in 1970 when I was a line dog, I have not always been in the F&B biz. 80-84 I worked in the Chemical Plants in Freeport, I am a Lone Star State native. My mothers family owned the first movie theater in Waco. I've also been an Investigator for the Public Defenders Office. So again it appears we probably are not all that different and if I was to have the pleasure of meeting you I would offer you a drink. On a larger scale your efforts in Texas are a tremendous asset to the producers and distributors of wines from everywhere. So again thank you for the
recognition you have bestowed upon us.

There are a couple of things I am a bit confused about and please clarify if you could from the stream of comments on your blog it seems your supporters are more interested in sports than wine. Throughout this exchange of ideas I was perplexed by how many writers read other blogs and use that content for their next story, I guess it keeps getting out of the house to a minimum and reduces carbon footprint so that's cool. Oh yeah there are couple of mistakes on your "about" page. (1)You are cooler than I am (2)We drink more wine than you do. Too bad I'm not going to Spain with Pamalicious next week, it would have been enlightening to learn a few things from you.

~MacDaddy

[Jo]

Reading all these replies has me confused. Bloggers and certified "in anything" writers are two different animals. Is there a reason why all those "certified writers" don't understand the First Amendment?

All you who are certified do know we live in a FREE society, don't you? Let the bloggers and certified "in anything" writers post their little ditties and let everyone be.

You are FREE to read the posts you prefer and pass on those you don't like . . . And forget about the grammar, etc. There are many bloggers and writers who are from other cultures and English is their second language.

Oh and the subject is wine . . . you all know wine is subjective and everyone has their own opinion. And there is the reply from Zinhead who's "certified" instructor at WSET just didn't have it except the "know it all" which is the "brett" of the wine world.

[Ned]

Here Here MackDaddy, I live in Houston, I travel around the world, and I have a BA in BS. I love wine, and have had the opportunity to taste many different wines from many different producers around the world. To me there is nothing worse that someone stealing someone else material reprinting it just to try and make themselves look better. So in closing I think you were to easy on this guy I think he's pretentious.

[Jeff Siegel]

I've been called many things in my time, but never pretentious -- idiot and moron are usually the words of choice.

I write about $10 wine, and hardly anyone else in the business does. How does that make me pretentious? I believe that anyone should drink any wine they like. How does that make me pretentious? The blog is about education, and always has been. How is that pretentious?

And believe me, Ned, if I was going to steal something, I'd steal from the best. Shakespeare comes to mind, not Enobytes.

[Wineharlot]

Riff-raff here, checking in with my two cents.
It’s seems a bit silly, more of the adult version of the playground argument.

“I’m qualified!”
“No you’re not! I am!”
“I am! I am!”

In the Enobytes comments, Pamela indicates certification can be completed in as little as a two-day course, which seems to me less about gaining knowledge about the subject, and more about bolstering egos. A faux diploma isn’t going to fool anyone for long.

I think the intent of the suggestion was to bolster better wine writing, but positing that all wine writers have a MW, WSET or a BS from Davis (or some random Wine School of the Week), doesn’t guarantee good writing.

[Dave McIntyre]

Marc - it's very chivalrous of you to rush to your wife's defense when someone disagrees with her, but why question that person's patriotism, for crying out loud? This is the type of Fox News vitriol the country is trying to move beyond right now.

Pam made a controversial proposal. She may not have meant to, but then you are just acknowledging that her post was poorly conceived and poorly written. Why get so defensive when she prompts debate? I personally think her argument was full of contradictions, but she sure prompted a discussion. Now you want to quell it with innuendo and name calling.

And Ned - Jeff is indeed pretentious - but only about hats.

[Alfonso]

blind people are great photographers?

Ok I'll bite...who might these great blind shooters be? Name names, Arthur. I am very interested in following this one up

[Winenegociant]

Who then certifies the certifier?
Curious to how and why something subjective would require certification.
I think it's consumers (which is ultimately who we are trying to talk to) have the right to decide who they want to listen to. There is not a single blogger in the world who can argue that. It seems to me that more often than not, ego plays more of a role than education or commitment to delivering quality content. Let the people decide, just like wine, they are going to pick whatever they like. Shame on you if you want to "certify" subjectivity.

[Marlene Rossman]

Winenegociant: Good on you!

Ya know, I think the author of this ridiculous argument should go back to university and get an MBA in Economics. The market is the equalizer. If you are good at what you do (in ANY field) you will succeed. If not, your blog/column/musings will fail.
It is just as simple as that.