Robert Parker is quite possibly the most influential critic living and working today.

Founder of The Wine Advocate, his sway over the fine wines market cannot be underestimated. According to TIME magazine: 'The man with the paragon palate... for countless wine lovers, Robert Parker’s tastes are infallible.' After tasting the Bordeaux vintage of 1982, Parker realised its greatness while others were dismissing it. Once vindicated, his stature as the world authority on wine was assured - and his track record has since been impeccable.

More than twenty years later, The Wine Advocate has over 50,000 subscribers, primarily in the United States, but with significant readership in over 37 other countries. While other wine publications have more subscribers, The Wine Advocate is still considered to exert a significant influence on wine consumers' buying habits, particularly in America. New York Times wine critic Frank Prial asserted that "Robert M. Parker Jr. is the most influential wine critic in the world."

In addition to writing and tasting for The Wine Advocate, which is published six times a year in Monkton, Maryland, Parker has been a contributing editor for Food and Wine Magazine and BusinessWeek. He has also written periodically for the English magazine The Field and has been the wine critic for France's L'Express magazine, the first time a non-Frenchman has held this position.

The Parker rating system employs a 50-100 point quality scale. A wine with a rating of above 90 points is generally agreed to be a sound investment.

 

Information courtesy of Wikipedia (part)