WSJ dropping its wine critics

[ipsedixit]

I don't know how many of you read Dorothy and John, the (former) wine critics of the Wall Street Journal, but their December 26, 2009, column was their last.

I've always enjoyed reading their columns, both for their insight and wit. It's really a great loss for both the WSJ and lovers of wine (and food).

They end their column with this little summary, which I think not only applies to wine, but food generaly:

__________________________________________________

Here's the bottom line: Wine isn't a spectator sport. It's utterly intimate. Don't let anyone tell you what you should like, including us. Try wines broadly—there have never been so many good ones, at all prices, on shelves—and keep raising your personal bar for what is truly memorable, so that you are always looking for the next wine that will touch your soul and make you feel you've gone someplace you've never been before. It's not about delicious wines. It's about delicious experiences. May your life be filled with them.

___________________________________________________

Read the full article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...

Cheers.

[Mari]

I don't understand why they were let go given that there is another critic that has been writing about wine. I really enjoyed reading Dorothy and John's articles since they made wine appreciation approachable. I just read that the restaurant critic has left as well. I always looked forward to the Friday/Saturday Personal Journal because of them even if the restaurants were in cities I don't plan to visit.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/m...

[ipsedixit]

I believe the new wine critic is a freelancer. It all comes down to the $$$.

I will sorely miss the OTBN events/columns ... [sigh]

[bucksguy14]

Do you really think that Rupert Murdock is concerned about food/wine columns?

[ipsedixit]

Not sure he is micromanaging at that level.

That said, if cutting out food and wine critics would boost the bottom line, he'd do it.

After all, he's going so far as to prevent Google News from linking to WSJ articles as a way to prevent "backdooring" into paid/premium content.

[bucksguy14]

de facto?

[shaogo]

Wow. I don't get the Journal any more and just saw this. I hope they write a book... I just love them and wish them the best.

[danna]

ARRRGHHH!!!!

I let my subscription drop for a few weeks mainly out of laziness, and I re-upped this morning to find NO WINE COLUMN!!!! I apparently skimmed over that last line in the dec column and and just assumed they were on one of their frequent sabaticals. I had to search the board to figure it out.

WTF am I going to do now to figure out what to buy? The owners of my local wine store suck, and the POWERS THAT BE stopped my local Whole Foods from sampling wine.

time to write an email....

[ipsedixit]

Yeah, I'm still getting over this loss myself.

Have you heard? WSJ just let go their restaurant critic as well. [sigh]

[danna]

while I don't care for the trend, I didn't think that highly of Sokolov, and won't miss him too much.

I really liked their angle on wine reporting. I liked knowing that it was safe to go buy a Spanish rioja, but not Austrialian chardonnay under a price point, for example. I also liked that they understood that price/value was a consideration. so many wine mags may be willing to mention that a $10 bottle is good, but in the same article they will recommend a $40 bottle, and they don't seem interested in telling me whether the extra $30 is worth it or not.

Maybe it's an attitude more common to WSJ readers, but just because I CAN afford something, doesn't mean I'm GOING TO pay for it...unless I perceive it as a good value.

Plus, I liked their lack of snobbery. They were able to walk that line between being discerning and being dismissive. *sniff* thanks ipsedixit for being my grief counselor this morning.

[gfr1111]

As a long time subscriber to the Wall Street Journal, I am gnashing my teeth. I particularly liked the wine critics and I enjoyed the restaurant reviews, even though most were outside the area where I live. It's like reading a cookbook. I read recipes I probably will never make (not enough time to cook everything!), but I still enjoy the learning process--ditto with the restaurant reviews.

[SuperFineSugar]

Did the WSJ actually drop them? Or did they make that decision on their own. They had been writing that column for a very long time, and I suspect it was immensely popular. I would be surprised if they were forced out. Does anyone know the back story?

[ipsedixit]

They were let go.

[MC Slim JB]

These two were giants in broadening my appreciation of wine. I've bought the Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine, a compendium of their columns and philosophy, for a dozen friends. Bloody hell! Hope they turn up somewhere soon. I'm going to have to hold a tribute Open That Bottle night with my friends in their honor this year.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[The Dairy Queen]

Aw, sad. I hate to see these kinds of resources trimmed down.

But, what a lovely, classy send-off that paragraph was.

~TDQ