Grand Cru-less?

Wine Spectator has much to answer for. They bought into a false front, and published their annual list of top restaurants with wine cellars without actually bothering to see if the restaurant exists in the real world.

Critics said the stunt proved the magazine, which has two million readers worldwide, was more interested in the restaurant's $250 (£135) entry fee than its cellar. It has taken, they say, more than $1m in entry fees this year.

Robin Goldstein created a website for the fake eaterie and wrote reviews from non-existent customers. The menu included roast piglet and grilled prawns complemented by an extensive wine list.

Having paid his $250, Goldstein sat back as Wine Spectator inspected the website, reviews and put in some fruitless calls to a false phone number. Weeks later, the restaurant, like 4,000 others this year, got an award for excellence.

Here's how Wine Spectator works - they ask for $250 application fee, along with your menu and wine list, and they'll include you on their list of restaurants if you meet the minimum requirement of 100 bottles on the list. They don't visit all those restaurants on the list to actually see if they have a wine cellar, or even exist. It's all self reporting, although they will visit the top level restaurants and will often write them up.

It's quite disappointing to learn that Wine Spectator didn't catch this outright fraud, but then again, if you read how they put together the list, you would begin to understand how this could happen.

UPDATE:
Professor Bainbridge also notes the red faces at WS, and notes that this pretty much destroys any credibility the awards hold.

Here's the original link to Robin Goldstein who submitted the bogus entry to see how the process works.