Wine Spectator responds to hoax

Here is the official response from Wine Spectator, sent over this morning by executive editor Thomas Matthews:

Wine Spectator has learned that, for the first time in the 27-year history of our Restaurant Awards program, a fictitious restaurant has entered its wine list for judging.

To orchestrate his publicity-seeking scam, Robin Goldstein created a fictitious restaurant in Milan, Italy, called Osteria L’Intrepido, then submitted a menu and wine list to Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards as a new entry in 2008. The wine list earned an Award of Excellence, the most basic of our three award levels.

Goldstein revealed his elaborate hoax at a meeting in Oregon last week. He is now crowing about the fraud on his own Web site. The story has been picked up in the blogosphere, and now Wine Spectator would like to set forth the actual facts of the matter.

1. Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards

Our Awards program was founded in 1981 to encourage restaurants to improve their wine programs, and to aid readers in finding restaurants that take wine seriously. The program evaluates the content, accuracy and presentation of restaurant wine lists. It does not purport to review the restaurant as a whole.

In the program’s 27 years, we have evaluated more than 45,000 wine lists. There is no doubt that more restaurants offer good wine lists today than back in 1981. We would like to think that this program has contributed to that development. Further, our Dining Guide is a widely used resource by our subscribers. (View more information on the program at www.WineSpectator.com/restaurants)

2. How could a restaurant that doesn’t exist earn an award for its wine list?

We do not claim to visit every restaurant in our Awards program. We do promise to evaluate their wine lists fairly. (Nearly one-third of new entries each year do not win awards.) We assume that if we receive a wine list, the restaurant that created it does in fact exist. In the application, the restaurant owner warrants that all statements and information provided are truthful and accurate. Of course, we make significant efforts to verify the facts.

In the case of Osteria L’Intrepido:
a. We called the restaurant multiple times; each time, we reached an answering machine and a message from a person purporting to be from the restaurant claiming that it was closed at the moment.
b. Googling the restaurant turned up an actual address and located it on a map of Milan
c. The restaurant sent us a link to a Web site that listed its menu
d. On the Web site Chowhound, diners (now apparently fictitious) discussed their experiences at the non-existent restaurant in entries dated January 2008, to August 2008.

3. How could this wine list earn an award?

On his blog, Goldstein posted a small selection of the wines on this list, along with their poor ratings from Wine Spectator. This was his effort to prove that the list – even if real – did not deserve an award.

However, this selection was not representative of the quality of the complete list that he submitted to our program. Goldstein posted reviews for 15 wines. But the submitted list contained a total of 256 wines. Only 15 wines scored below 80 points.

Fifty-three wines earned ratings of 90 points or higher (outstanding on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale) and a total of 102 earned ratings of 80 points (good) or better. (139 wines were not rated.) Overall, the wines came from many of Italy’s top producers, in a clear, accurate presentation.

Here is our description of an Award of Excellence:
Our basic award, for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

The list from L’Intrepido clearly falls within these parameters.

4. What did Goldstein achieve?

It has now been demonstrated that an elaborate hoax can deceive Wine Spectator.

This act of malicious duplicity reminds us that no one is completely immune to fraud. It is sad that an unscrupulous person can attack a publication that has earned its reputation for integrity over the past 32 years. Wine Spectator will clearly have to be more vigilant in the future.

Most importantly, however, this scam does not tarnish the legitimate accomplishments of the thousands of real restaurants who currently hold Wine Spectator awards, a result of their skill, hard work and passion for wine.

Wine Spectator, 'winner' spar over hoax

Editor's note: The official response from Wine Spectator is on the next post.

Robin Goldstein didn’t sound like someone giddy with exhilaration over the “gotcha” he pulled on Wine Spectator magazine and its annual Awards of Excellence that date back 27 years. Explaining that it was part of the research for an academic paper about standards for wine awards, he turned in an application for an award creating a fake Italian restaurant (Oesteria L’Intrepido) and accompanying wine list. As Goldstein explained on his restaurant site, he “named the restaurant 'Osteria L’Intrepido' (a play on the name of a restaurant guide series that I founded, Fearless Critic). I submitted the fee ($250), a cover letter, a copy of the restaurant’s menu (a fun amalgamation of somewhat bumbling nouvelle-Italian recipes), and a wine list.”

Then, as he explained by phone last night, came the e-mail from Wine Spectator congratulating him on the award, “which was shortly followed by a phone call from the ad sales department.” Wine Spectator and Goldstein dispute the amount of communication; Goldstein said it's the only call he got from the magazine. Wine Spectator said a staff member called the restaurant multiple times and that "reached an answering machine and a message from a person purporting to be from the restaurant claiming that it was closed at the moment."

Asked how wide his grin was upon receiving the news, Goldstein said the result was more sobering than satisfying. “I do think this is a problem and not just for Wine Spectator but for food and wine awards and experts in general,” he said. “I think there’s a problem with standards and so it troubles me. I’m not happy about the problem. It’s something I wanted to bring to people’s attention because I think the public deserves better for our experts.”

Wine Spectator executive editor Thomas Matthews was asked by e-mail today if he agreed with any part of Goldstein's criticism. He followed up the question with another question.

"What do we mean when we we talk about 'standards?'" he asked. "In my opinion, a credible awards program makes its criteria clear, then applies them fairly and consistently. That is the case with Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards Program. The criteria that apply to each award level are clearly stated, to restaurateurs and diners alike. L'Intrepido's list met those criteria. The presence of 15 low-scoring wines -- out of more than 250 in all, many very high-scoring -- doesn't change that judgment. Every restaurant list, including the very best, offers some wines Wine Spectator hasn't rated highly. We aren't so tyrannical as to rigidly impose our own tastes."

On its Web site, Wine Spectator says the awards “recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.” It judges the wine lists, not the food. Restaurants are judged primarily on the breadth and quality of their selection and the presentation of the list. Winners are broken down into three categories, moving from basic to best: the Award of Excellence for restaurants with around 100 selections (it was given this year to 3,253 restaurants); the Best of Award of Excellence for restaurants with around 400 selections (it was given to 802 restaurants); and the Grand Award for restaurants with 1,500 or more selections (it was bestowed upon 72 eateries in 2008).

Just do a search on Wine Spectator and awards and restaurants and it’s easy to see how these designations are used in advertising; no doubt you’ll find that recognition hung prominently on the walls of the restaurants, too. “We rely on the certificates that we see posted on the walls in restaurants,” Goldstein said, “and we rely on the awards that we see talked about on Web sites and in restaurant reviews, and it’s disconcerting to think there might not be much behind them. We need to demand more of our experts.”

Matthews wrote in an e-mail that the magazine charged no application fees during the first 20 years of the selection procress. But, he added, the success put significant burdens on his staff, requiring an entry fee that other awards programs, from the James Beard Journalism awards to the National Magazine Awards, charge. The program is entirely voluntary; no restaurant is required to enter, he added. All judging is done only by the editorial staff.

"Some might argue that the criteria for our basic Award of Excellence are too easy to achieve," he added in the e-mail. "But tell that to the chef-owner of a 40-seat bistro in a small Midwestern town, struggling to find the energy, knowledge and money to manage a wine program with 150 selections and several thousand bottles in inventory. Doesn't she merit recognition for her achievement?

"Our program was founded to encourage restaurants -- even modest restaurants -- to improve their wine programs. And in the 27 years we've been running it, wine lists across America have indeed improved. No other publication has devoted so much time, energy and resources to aid this progress."

All the winners were announced in the August edition of the magazine; Goldstein said he first came forward and told people what he had done at a meeting of the American Association of Wine Economists in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 15. Since then, references to Goldstein’s restaurant and wine list have been pulled from the magazine’s Web site and he has acquired a bit of a cult following as the Internet has helped news of the scheme take flight. For someone who said he's hopeful this improves the process, Goldstein said he’s encouraged by the response he has received from people who read what he did.

“I’m optimistic that this might change things based on the reaction from people,” he said, “from readers and from the media and from the food and wine communities. “It’s not encouraging that the reaction that came from Wine Spectator, which was more of a, you know, an accusation that I was some sort of eccentric fraud that sort of dealing with the real issue, which is that their readers expected more from them with this awards program that has been running for decades and that I would have expected something more along the line of ‘We plan to change our standards and we plan do something to confront the fact that this awards program might be functioning more like advertising than people think it is.’ Instead of getting that sort of explanation we got some sort of lashing out against me. But overall, given that my goal was to open the discussion and raise the awareness of it and sort of ask the public, are we getting what we expect out of our elite experts in the world of food and wine, the reaction has been positive and hopefully points toward some change on the way.”

And what changes would he make? Goldstein breaks it down into a short list, at least to use as a starting point.

“One thing would be independence of the bodies from the restaurant or wines or the entities that they are reviewing,” he says. “I don’t think that someone who reviews restaurants, for example, should be in the business of accepting money from those restaurants for advertising on any other purpose. That would be number one. Wine Spectator is far from the only offender in that regard. So, number one, don’t accept money.

“Number two, don’t even have a relationship with the entities you are reviewing. Don’t have this sort of implication . . . in the food world where you have writers going in and identifying themselves and saying, ‘Hey, I’m from such and such magazine, entertain me.’ You know, whether or not they are sort of accepting money from the restaurant it still seems not just because they are going to get special treatment but also because it creates a relationship that they then might feel obliged to honor. We’re all human beings and we feel really bad being honest if necessary saying something against someone we know or someone who’s a friend. So I think that plays in as well.

“And then finally, in terms of the nonexistent restaurant getting an award, I think just applying more editorial scrutiny and fact-checking in a real way. When you have so much misinformation out there and so many interested parties posting this information everywhere . . . I think it’s the role of the expert to be the one who says, ‘No, I’m going to be the one who verifies these facts in person. I’m going to be the one who shows up at the restaurant and sees if what I’ve read, posted by all these people who you don’t know who they are on the Internet. In my role as expert I’m the one who has to do that diligence.' ”

Two things there. One is the disclaimer that Wine Spectator positioned at the end of its online explanation of the awards. It read: “It's important to note that our awards evaluate wine lists, not restaurants as a whole. While we assume that the level of food and service will be commensurate with the wine lists entered by award winners, this unfortunately is not always true. We cannot visit every award-winning restaurant (although all Grand Award winners and many others are inspected by Wine Spectator editors), so we encourage our readers to alert us to discrepancies and disappointments. If you have any comments regarding your experience at one of our award-winning restaurants, contact us at restaurantawards@mshanken.com.”

Second, I’m in a business where resources are drying up nationally, where media owners with few exceptions and newspaper owners specifically are cutting back on manpower and resources. Investigative reporting? It’s decreasing by the week, a fact that hasn’t been lost on Goldstein, a former restaurant critic for the New Haven, Conn., paper whose book The Wine Trials was published at the beginning of the year.

“I know how hard it is these days for publishers, given that advertising dollars for print is somewhat drying up, it’s really hard to say put your foot down [and say] ‘We’re really going to enforce this division between editorial and advertising,” he says. “But I think it’s so important to maintain that level of integrity.”

Sand Castle delighted with Seven Springs festival

Had sent a note out to some of the participating wineries asking about how they made out at the Seven Springs Wine Festival on Aug. 23. Heard back today from Peter Ricci, the general sales manager for Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, Pa. Ricci wrote the following

"Seven Springs was as usual a major success for Sand Castle Winery; our Alpine Spice was the star of the event. Sand Castle Winery averaging a sale of Alpine Spice to every 2.2 people who attended the event; if you think about it most people who attend are couples. We did taste our full line of wines and recieved very positive feedback; both in purchases and comments. Many of the comments were the best winery there for overall quality."

Mt. Felix welcomes its first customer

You could feel the excitement in an e-mail that Peter Ianniello of The Vineyards at Mt. Felix Manor in Havre de Grace, Md., sent earlier today:

"Yes, we literally just opened and has 1st retail customer pull down driveway today."

So another winery in Maryland has officially opened. Hoping to post some photos of the place in the next 24 hours.

'Dummies' course at CrossingV&W starts Sept. 21

Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa. will offer tips on savoring the flavors of wine with “Wine Tasting for Dummies” workshops each month through December, beginning Sept. 21.

As part of the course, scheduled for 2 p.m. at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, participants will sample a selection of wines, cheeses, and fruit. Taught by Crossing co-owner Tom Carroll Sr., president of the Bucks County Wine Trail, the course has emerged as one of the most popular among the winery’s “Wine Institute” offerings, Carroll said.

The course also will be offered Oct. 19, Nov. 16, and Dec. 14. The fee is $25 and advance registration is suggested due to its popularity.

Information and registration: 215.493.6500, ext. 19 or http://www.crossingvineyards.com/

Five wine videos, one vote, one winner

Wanna spend 15 minutes you don't mind never getting back. Take a look at these five videos that readers sent in to Wine Spectator magazine. You can vote for the winner among these finalists through Sunday; second and third place winners will be announced Monday and the top prizewinner will be revealed on Tuesday. What will they get?

1. The creator of the winning video will receive two complimentary registrations to the Wine Experience in New York City on Oct. 16-18, 2008. The winning video may be shown as part of the official program.
2. The finalists, as chosen by our editors, will each receive two tickets to the Grand Tastings at the Wine Experience in New York City on Oct. 16 or 17, 2008. If they are unable to make that date, finalists may attend any one of the 2009 Grand Tour Tastings (dates and locations TBD). Finalists’ videos will be posted at WineSpectator.com.

What will you get? Some truly creative work to assess and enjoy and one tough choice.

The Event Grapevine: Sept. 12-14

Featured Event

Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker
Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Need to fill up your kitchen cabinet with wine glasses? That would be one reason to hit the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail for “Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker,” where the nine participating wineries will be selling their promotional glasses for $1 apiece. Each one will have a logo of the wine trail on one side and the winery logo on the other. And it’s your job to fill them up with a sampling of what will be offered during this two-day event, running all day Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and then wrapping up from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Stopping by at any of these wineries in Eastern and Northeastern Pennsylvania won’t cost you a thing. All will be offering wine and a Pennsylvania food partner, so going home hungry isn’t an option. Some wineries are filling out the schedule with entertainment, education and/or tours; you can find the schedule at this link.

Vickie Greff, of Blue Mountain Vineyards and the president of the wine trail, said that while this doesn’t match the numbers that the monthlong March Madness draws, she expects a good crowd will make its way along the trail. “You can’t expect to see everyone who goes around the trail because they split it up among the trail members, between going to different wineries” she said last night. “We’re doing a lot of different things here, so hopefully they’ll come out for them. We’re doing a tank room tour on Sunday and on Saturday, if weather permits, we’re going to do a vineyard walk. Everybody is doing different things, but that’s what we’re doing, so hopefully people will be interested in that and come out. We all do our thing and see how it all goes, and we wish each other luck. We work well together as a trail and everybody gets along and is happy to give people a reason to come out and taste wine.”

And if Harvest Weekend in the Lehigh Valley doesn’t quite fit into your plans, here’s what else is going on this weekend and in a couple of cases into the latter part of next week:

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Parrots on the Patio ($$), Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., http://www.adamscountywinery.com/

Amore Vineyards & Winery, Bath: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://www.amore-4u.com/

Big Creek Vineyard & Winery, Kresgeville: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://www.bigcreekvineyard.com/

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.); Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m., http://www.bluemountainwine.com

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 17, the Chaddsford Challenge ($$), see how Chaddsford’s best wines stack up against wines of similar type & style from the world’s great wine regions, 7 to 9:30 p.m., reservations at 215.794.9655; Thursday, Sept. 18, Wine in Roman Times ($$), wine educator Frank Patterson gives a program and tasting on how wine making and wine drinking arrived (originally from Greece) and prospered in ancient Rome, http://www.chaddsford.com

Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://www.bigcreekvineyard.com/

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: 23rd anniversary sale, 23 percent discount on all 750 ml of wine, Thursday, the 11th through Sunday, the 14th; Live Music on the Patio, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 to 5 p.m.; Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Bakers, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.); Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m., http://www.cloverhillwinery.com

Country Creek Winery, Telford: Concert, Christine & Company, an acoustic act from the Philadelphia suburbs, Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.countrycreekwinery.com/

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Summer Under the Stars concert series ($$), Friday, 7 p.m., Fairmount Chamber Ensemble; How Sweet It Is: Pairing Wine and Chocolate ($$), sommelier Eric Cavatore and Stacey Glynn-Brady from Lindt of Switzerland, Sunday, 2 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), East Falls location, Sunday, 2 p.m.; second class in Wine 101 series ($$), Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Types of Wine, http://www.crossingvineyards.com

Franklin Hill, Bangor: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://franklinhillvineyards.com

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://www.galenglen.com/

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: Official grand opening, Monday through next Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Saturday, http://www.hauserestate.com/

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Friday (6 to 9 p.m.), Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m., Blue Light Special concert ($$), 7 to 10 p.m., http://www.moondancerwinery.com

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: “Summer Sounds” outdoor concert series ($$), Saturday, 7 to 10 p.m., music by Sound of Roses, http://www.naylorwine.com

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.); Blues in the Barn, Saturday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), http://www.pinridge.com/

Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: First Crush Festival, open house and picking, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., http://www.sandcastlewinery.com/

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Summer Tours With the Winemaker ($$), Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m., about 1 ½ hours long, http://www.vynecrest.com/whatsnew.htm

Wycombe Vineyards, Furlong: Harvest Weekend: The Butcher, The Baker, The Winemaker, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.),
http://www.vynecrest.com/


MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Harvest Saturday, second of a series of volunteer pickings that last into October; picking usually starts around 9 a.m. and finishes around 1 p.m., followed by a homemade spread (that is outstanding) and wine tasting, RSVP at 410.472.0703, http://www.basignani.com/

Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link


FESTIVALS

12th annual Neptune Wine Festival ($$), Virginia Beach, Va., Saturday and Sunday, more information at this link


($$) – Admission charge