Michelin Guide has fully acquired Robert Parker Wine Advocate, up its original 40% stake, Wine Advocate’s current Editor-in-Chief has announced.
It’s not immediately clear when the full acquisition was completed, and the news was announced on November 22 when Lisa Perrotti-Brown was writing to launch the very first selection of WA wine reviewers’ favorites: their 10 discoveries of the year.
By becoming a 100% shareholder of RPWA, Perrotti-Brown says it affirms the collaboration initiated in 2017, when Michelin acquired 40% of Wine Advocate, five years after Parker sold his controlling stake to Singapore-based investors.
“This full integration will ensure the long-term synergies between oenology and gastronomy through the pursuit of experiences based on food and wine pairing, as well as the creation of new digital content and services,” says Perrotti-Brown.
“Leading RPWA’s passionate teams is not only thrilling, but also an incredible opportunity to combine the strengths of the MICHELIN Guide and The Wine Advocate,” says Nicolas Achard, newly appointed CEO of RPWA. “People curious about wine and gastronomy will be offered a unique set of experiences thanks to the internationally-recognized know-how and independent, unbiased selections of both companies.”
The Wine Advocate was founded by Robert Parker, arguably the most influential wine critic in history, in 1978, and the current team has 10 reviewers in total led by Perrotti-Brown.
Parker earlier this year announced his formal and full retirement from WA, after years of reducing tasting and handing over responsibilities to his team.
In assuring the new company’s direction, Perrotti-Brown says the new team’s ambitions include reaffirming its role as the worldwide reference for wine, by expanding RPWA’s geographical footprint along with the ever-increasing interest for wine culture in historical as well as emerging wine markets, developing a digital eco-system combining gastronomy and wine and providing exclusive experiences.
In November, WA added Edward Ragg MW, the China-based Master of Wine, as the new wine reviewer for the publication, covering China, as reported by Vino-joy.com.
