Meet Jancis Robinson
Courtesy of
30 Second Wine Advisor
By Robin GarrThe British
winescribe Jancis Robinson - Master of Wine and Officer of the Order
of the British Empire (OBE) - is one of the world's most prolific
wine writers, making the easily verifiable claim that she has
written "millions of words about wine" (and probably uttered nearly
that many more on radio, television and in public appearances).
She is also surely among the world's most popular wine
journalists, boasting a clear, informative and entertaining writing
style in books and articles
that qualify as literary essays, going far beyond mere tasting notes
and wine-buying guides.
Perhaps most telling, it is difficult to find a wine enthusiast
who does not admire Ms. Robinson, a condition that stands in clear
contrast to some of the more controversial popular American and
French wine commentators, who seem to attract critics as vocal as
their fans.
Chances are most of you know Jancis Robinson and her writing as
well as I do, but I re-introduce her today for two reasons: She has
asked our help in promoting the Geoffrey Roberts Award, a
scholarship that provides an international travel budget up to 3,000
pounds sterling (about US$5,000) for researchers conducting serious
studies related to wine, food and travel; and, in the process of our
E-mail conversation, I learned that she has also recently updated
and redesigned her excellent Website,
http://www.jancisrobinson.com.
The Geoffrey Roberts Award
According to a news release provided by Ms. Robinson, this
special annual award commemorates the life and work of the late
Geoffrey Roberts, a wine importer based in London. It has been made
annually since 1996 to a deserving potential achiever in the worlds
of food, drink or travel, continuing Geoffrey's lifelong
encouragement of excellence in these related fields.
In previous years, the Geoffrey Roberts Award has brought
farmers' markets to Australia; yielded a brand-new Somerset cheese;
funded research into the effects of vineyard altitude on the
longevity of wine drinkers; and dramatically increased our knowledge
of Eastern European indigenous grape varieties.
The Award is run by a London-based registered charity whose
trustees include Neville Abraham CBE and Nicholas Lander of
Financial Times. Anyone may apply regardless of age, experience or
nationality. Information on applying, and a downloadable (rich-text
format) application form will be found online at
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/winenews/2003/jr7112.htm.
WWW.JANCISROBINSON.COM
"If you are a visitor of longstanding you may get quite a shock
to see so much white space and so little yellow-green," Ms. Robinson
wrote of the recent redesign of her Website, which she now considers
her principal wine-writing activity. "You are warmly invited to
explore the new site which has been designed expressly to make it
even easier to use."
The Robinson site is divided into two parts: Free contents, plus
the paid-subscription-only "Purple Pages."
There's plenty of substance on the free side, including a regular
"Wines of the Week" feature (this week's topic is "Inexpensive
Viognier"); wine news, including links to her recent articles in
Financial Times and other publications (currently featured, a
downloadable 14-page article on 2003 Bordeaux by the merchant Bill
Blatch); food news written by her husband, food writer and
restaurateur Nick Lander; plus travel tips, her recommended
wine-related Web links, information about her books, and an
extensive, readable biography.
The Purple Pages are updated frequently, apparently several days
a week, and include an eclectic combination of news, essays, tasting
notes and submissions from readers. Recent updates include such
diverse topics as "Some bizarre new wine specialities" and "Watered
wine continued" (Jan. 12); "The perfect wine list" (Jan. 6);
"Australia's two greatest Chardonnays" (Jan. 5), and "Bordeaux
1999s: how do they look now?" (Jan. 1).
Subscriptions aren't cheap - online access for all articles to be
published during the calendar year 2004 costs 49 pounds sterling -
around $85 or 79 euros - but based on content and value, I'd take it
in an instant over Wine Spectator or Robert M. Parker Jr.'s Wine
Advocate at comparable prices. |
