Thursday, 29 October, 2020
Wines of South Africa, Fiona McDonald
A sweater here, a pair of curtains there, a scatter cushion in a shop window or a throw in an advertising catalogue.
Similar thing happened the other day. I was thinking about the topic of criticism since I had just waded through about 600 wines for the 2021 issue of the Platter Guide. Appending scores to wines is a very subjective thing – but how does one produce valid criticism? And more to the point how does one present negative criticism in a constructive manner.
That thought was amplified by something British Master of Wine Tim Atkin wrote in the introduction to his annual report on South Africa. “That’s one of the many reasons I love writing about South Africa, the focus of my latest report. Spotting talent and backing it to succeed, putting a bit of my reputation on the line in the process, is a vital part of my job as a critic. I’ll never be able to write like Kenneth Tynan, but I can be inspired by his example.” *
No-one wants to be offensive or abrasive. Well, almost no-one ... unless your name is Piers Morgan or you’re a total contrarian who wants to invite shotgun blasts of ire and vitriol. (And there are a few contrarian souls out there!)
But seriously, how do you tell someone that the product they have slaved over for two to three years is not as great as they think it is? That, in fact, in comparison to a host of other products it’s downright poor!
Click HERE to read the full article