I am no fan of Robert Parker, but am better off as a wine enthusiast for having read Elin McCoy's biography.

As the title suggests, McCoy's book is divided into two parts: the incredible rise of Parker as a wine reviewer and then his role leading the American influence over the global wine industry. In addition to educating me about the man, I also learned a ton about the wine industry in general, especially the history and culture of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions in France.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about wine and the impact America has had on the global industry.

McCoy provides an incredible amount of context and detail to Parker's story, at times making the narrative too extracted, like many of the wines Parker recommends. But she is to be excused, for this usually offers needed support for telling the Parker story in the context of American taste.

In fact, the second half of the book becomes less about Parker and more about "the reign of American taste" over the global wine industry. This influence, which Parker clearly served as the catalyst for, has had a profound impact on the types and styles of wine being made around the world. McCoy does an excellent job detailing the downside of this trend, in terms of the homogenization of wine as a result of American preference for fruitier, sweeter, fuller wines.

In reading this book, I appreciate even more the difference between tasting vs. drinking wine. I share in McCoy's concern that Parker's palate maintains a strong influence over which wines thrive, if not survive, in the marketplace. Whenever one person dictates not only what should be drunk, but also how wine should be made, all wine consumers will suffer.

Wine is enjoying a modern rebirth in the psyche of popular society. Yet for all the diversity, much of what we are drinking has been crafted to appeal to a "mass market modern taste".

Robert Parker is to be praised and blamed. One of the greatest and most flawed wine critics, he helped to introduce the 100-point rating system and bring wine to North Americans attention. Sadly, despite touting himself a wine critic for the people, most of the wines he raves about and recommends in his "Wine Advocate" remain out of reach for the majority of everyday wine consumers. To be the Emperor of Wine is a dubious position.

If you read this book and "The Judgment of Paris" by George Taber, you'll get a great and deep understanding of the modern wine industry. I also recommend "Noble Rot". The three most accessible and stimulating books on the social aspects of wine drinking and the politics behind the glamour of the grape.

I loved this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. If you are into wine and subscribe to Parker's website or newsletter this is a must read. A fasinating perspective on the world's most influencial wine critic.

Good overview describing how robert parker became robert parker. No big nuggets, but well written and good insights and background since parker clearly cooperated with the writer, who is a wine critic in her own right and thus understands the business. Informative and a good story while also telling you how the wine industry works and how it evolved from the days of Almaden to today.

Parker has almost made me a beleiver. But why does it take 100 points to tell him if it tastes good or not. I can do it in 20.

Elin McCoy's 'Emperor of Wine' is an absorbing account of the rise of wine critic Robert Parker and his influence on the international wine industry. McCoy's biography works on a number of levels:
--as a Horatio Alger saga of a rise to fortune and prominence through passion and hard work;
--as a business biography about the creation of influence and wealth by filling an emerging niche;
--as an examination of the cultural and economic forces that have shaped wine consumption over the past 30 years.

I enjoy wine, but am hardly an expert on the subject. I had a vague awareness of Robert Parker, but had no idea of the extent to which he has shaped consumer wine options in the past two decades. But even on the basis of my casual consumption of wine, it is clear that Parker's preference for big, fruity reds and oaky whites have consistently pushed certain wine-making styles to the head of the class in the American liquor store and on the American restaurant menu.

Has Parker's influence been helpful or harmful? Probably both, in Elin McCoy's assessment. On the one hand, Parker has made wine more accessible to consumers, held producers accountable for their product, and conducted himself ethically in an industry often characterized by shadowy alliances and influence peddling. At the same time, Parker's ability to move markets in accordance with his palate has led to considerable reduction of local diversity in wine production, as producers in the U.S., France and Italy flock to develop wines that reflect his preferences.

Any deficiencies in 'Emperor of Wine'? McCoy seems to take an uncommon interest in Parker's weight gain over a 30-year career. Granted, weight gain is probably an occupational hazard for someone who tastes thousands of wines annually, but McCoy's continuing preoccupation with the topic is eventually jarring, and makes one wonder if she is taking a covert jab at her subject.

Overall, however, I found Elin McCoy's portrayal of Robert Parker and the international wine industry absorbing and even-handed. Despite his occasional arrogance (at least as depicted by McCoy), there is much to like about Parker, including his level-headedness, his generosity, his integrity, and his devotion to his wife and daughter. As well, this story of Coke-drinking lad from small-town Maryland making it big in the world of international wine is heartening to those of us who enjoy a story about a little guy who persists and wins.

Whether you are an occasional wine drinker or serious oenophile, the 'Emperor of Wine' should make an absorbing read. Highly recommended.

I subscribe to several wine publications and enjoy drinking, and recently, collecting wine.
The more I researched wine, the more Mr. Parker's name came up. I became curious as to how he became one of the world's most revered wine authorities.
I have read "Noble Rot" and watched 'Mondovino". This book had far more information particular to Mr. Parker. Unfortunately, it is very dry.
It has none of the snap, or flow, of other great food and wine writers.
The author seems to veer between reverence and disdain in a somewhat schizophrenic manner.
All in all, I appreciated the information, but can't recommend this book to anyone just looking for a good read

Parker seems like a good guy who yanks wine into the modern age of pop culture and instant millionaires while retaining his own ideals. The author obviously likes Parker and is knowlegeable about the wine culture, its cat fights, penchant for snobbery and elitism and jealousies. The impact of Parker and America on the modern wine business in France (especially Bordeaux) and worldwide is detailed and fairly assessed. I enjoyed the last chapter where she provides a fair sum up of Robert Parker and his role in the modern business of wine marketing.

You don't have to be obsessed with wine to enjoy this book, since it concerns the impact of an individual on an industry as much or more than the technical aspects of contemporary winemaking. Hence, the book is part food/wine, part biography, part social history, part economic history, and part cultural history. It is also very important, since the impact of this single individual on a vast industry is--for good or ill--an important fact of life. It is also a very interesting story, as so many of the lives of those connected with the making and appreciation of wine tend to be. Elin McCoy is a knowledgeable commentator and her inclusion of a wine glossary is both helpful and useful.

The book is perhaps most interesting in its confirmation of the fact that a single individual can have an immense impact on our world. The author also manages to tease out the sometimes unexpected details that contribute to the larger story, e.g., Addy Bassin's willingness to share his mailing list with Parker, a crucial element in Parker's success. How many people drive past Bassin's MacArthur Liquors every day, unaware of the fact of its role in shaping the world's wine industry? As a steady customer of Bassin's during my 17 years in Washington, D.C. I was pleased to see the author's awareness of its importance.