Mark Squires, Wine Critic, Wine Advocate/RobertParker.Com (2006➡️06/2023), Portugal, Greece, New York, VA etc.

Our website www.andeswines.com was, for many years, featured among the top links in the Wine Advocate by Robert Parker´s website. During that time, we frequently followed Mark Squires’ reports. Thanks to BlueSky, we recently connected with him, proposed an interview, and he kindly accepted.

Here it is — enjoy!

1. How do you see the role of critics and scores evolving over the next decade — are they still the gatekeepers of taste, or is influence shifting elsewhere?

Whenever someone asks a question like this, my first response is: who do you envision replacing them? Which is to say, people like wineries and importers are not always objective.

They’re selling wine. «Influencers» may vary. Some may be great. Many have few standards. We’ve all seen those Instagram vids of someone standing in front of a bottle, pointing at it and saying pretty much nothing. Do you need knowledgeable people with no ax to grind who actually communicate important information? I’d say there will always be a need for that.

The subject of scores has been beaten to death, but the point of the score, whatever type it is, is merely to make the critic’s view clear. «This is an «A». Or, «This is mid.» Some systems are more effective than others, but ultimately almost EVERY system ends up having some hierarchy.

A score–let’s use the word rating– is how you clearly communicate that hierarchy. Just using words does not make that clear all the time. It may be clear the person writing likes or doesn’t like the wine. But is it clear of the 50 wines they talk about that month, which ones they think are the best to buy? Often, not at all. Ratings help with communication of that.

2. Which North American regions — traditional and emerging — do you think will gain the most critical and commercial traction in the next 5–10 years, and why?

I hate to shock people, but even though I love and specialized in emerging regions, I think the market is so competitive these days–and shrinking too–that it is hard for newer regions to break through. We talk about great diversity today, but in reality, look at statistics on wine exported to the USA–it’s dominated by 4 or 5 countries. The rest just get crumbs.

But to answer more directly, I think the Finger Lakes is the biggest up-and-comer in the USA. Perhaps British Columbia in Canada. For the Finger Lakes, that time line may work. I am not so sure BC or Ontario won’t need more.

3. Climate change is reshaping viticulture. From your tastings and reporting, which adaptive practices (rootstocks, varieties, canopy, irrigation, altitude) are delivering the best results?

Sorry, I’m not a viticulturist. Wineries are going to have to experiment with other grapes and be ready for earlier harvests. Those things are already happening. The rest may be beyond my expertise.

Consumers’ preferences seem to be fragmenting (lighter styles, low-alcohol, natural, canned/sparkling). Which of these shifts are long-term structural changes versus short-term fads?

Refer back to my comments on emerging regions. I think the wine marketplace will be shrinking. I see trends to drinking less and at lower alcohol points. I don’t see that going away so easily. Health concerns are an issue. Cost is an issue. Cost is one reason why I see wineries saying «well, drink better, drink less» and consumers say, «not at the prices you’re charging! Give me a beer.» 🙂

Plus, that answer has been around a long, long time now. It’s not new. It handled last decade’s crisis. The latest issues seem more serious and spreading. One likelihood is that more and more we will see «haves» and «have nots» amongst wineries. That is, the most famous who cater to the rich and serious collectors will do fine. The low end will do find. In the middle, you may have a lot of fine wineries struggling for sales.

4. How has winemaking technology and data (precision viticulture, lab analytics, AI in blends/harvest timing) changed the wines you see — and will greater tech adoption change what critics evaluate?

As with viticulture–I’m not a winemaker. I have some thoughts, but really, this is beyond my expertise. I have little to offer.

By Maximiliano Morales, AndesWines.com CEO

andes@andeswines.com