Gambero Rosso Wishes to Rectify

On behalf of GRH Spa, attorney Alessandro Sala has requested a rectification. I have no problem with this and have no intention of taking any legal action against a company I worked over 20 years for. I took no such action when I left three years ago and will not do so now. And while I could have filed this letter together with the other comments we have received on the editorial in question, I have decided, to avoid any future misunderstanding or incomprehension, to give this rectification the same space and visibility as to the editorial, reserving the right to have the last word.

A RECTIFICATION REQUESTFROM GAMBERO ROSSO HOLDING SPA

In regard to the article ‘The Decline of Wine Guides’, Gambero Rosso would like to clarify the rapport between the number of top rating it awards to wines and the producers it examines in its guide.

We intend to do this by analyzing the editions from 2005 to 2014.

Mr. Cernilli was responsible for the guide up until the 2011 edition and, from 2005 to 2011, the number of producers examined rose during that period from 2,057 to 2,350, while the number of wines awarded with the top 3-Glass rating climbed from 264 to 402, an increase of 138 over seven years. This was an increment of 50% from the initial number while, over the same period of time, the number of producers examined rose by only 293 or some 15%.

Following Mr. Cernilli’s resignation, the number of wines receiving a 3-Glass rating was 375 for the 2012 edition, with 2,350 producers examined, 399 in the 2013 edition, with 2.350 producers reviewed, and 414 in the 2014 edition, with 2,360 producers examined.

The rapport between the number of candidates reviewed and the wines receiving the top rating rose consistently when Mr. Cernilli was in charge and the improvement in the quality of wines during those years is a recognized fact.

Over the past three years, the number of producers examined has remained practically unchanged, 2,350-2,360, while there has been a slight decrease in the number of wines receiving the top ranking compared to the last edition published under the supervision of Mr. Cernilli (-27 in 2012 and -3 in 2013).

These figures contradict the observations made in the article in question and demonstrate how the guide’s past three editions have reflected a greater stability in the ‘quality’ of Italian wine. Furthermore, the rapport between the number of producers selected and the wines given a top rating demonstrates how the reviews were always carried out with the utmost impartiality and any variations are the result of factors changes regarding the harvest and the skill of the producers.

In conclusion, it is evident that Gambero Rosso has rewarded with its top rating only those producers who deserved them and there has been no increase due to a greater number of what was, with a total lack of respect, described as ‘‘sheep to fleece’’. The truth is this was no way to describe an entire group of businessmen who, despite the current economic situation, continue to improve their products and maintain a high level of quality for Italian products.

Sincerely yours,

Alessandro Sala

On behalf of Gambero Rosso Holding Spa 

As you can see, Mr. Sala signed off expressing his sincerity to me and I, in turn, with sincerity would like to point out the following. Perhaps I did make it clear that what had surprised me was that 415 wines, an all-time record, received a 3-Glass rating in the 2014 Italian Wine Guide when the vintages taken into consideration did not seem to me to be superior to those in previous editions. More precisely 2011 and 2012 for most of the whites from the northeast, 2009 for Barolo and 2008 for Brunello di Montalcino. For the record, the 2005 guide had fewer top ratings because some of the vintages examined were not particularly good ones, like 2002 and 2003 for example.

Aside from that, Gambero Rosso appears to be unhappy because I saw a connection between their promotional roadshows and a greater number of wines receiving their top ranking. They say this is not so and I do hope you all believe this, please. I also ask that you believe that no improper pressure was ever exerted by ‘management’ on collaborators, that no one asked them to make phone calls to various producers to invite them to take part in the roadshows and so on. This is all false and anyone who says this must accept all the consequences. I say this because I have heard some ‘gossip’ in this regard, I don’t remember where or from whom I heard it, and if any of our readers has heard anything similar I ask them to not believe it. All the wines that received the top rating deserved it because they surpassed the quality threshold that is set each year, which may vary but only minimally. I was glad that Gambero Rosso wanted a rectification, I am pleased that everything is going so well and that, all things considered, the only one to blame for so many top ratings is, apparently, just me. And seeing how I am no longer responsible for the guide, the problem no longer exists. Everyone can draw their own conclusions, as long as they keep them to themselves please, in full respect of the honor and credibility of all.

A final observation. The term ‘sheep to fleece’ was meant to be an ironic way to express a certain concept which explains why it was purposely placed in inverted commas. At this point, however, I see nothing to be ironic about.