Old News April 1, 2014

The Internet is still trying to digest the possibility that the news that Robert Parker will launch a magazine called 100 Points by Robert Parker—covering “lifestyle products, services and experiences” for “high net-worth individuals and corporate leaders”—is not an elaborate April Fool’s joke. The press release posted on his web site says:

Crafted for readers whose lives embody quality, exclusivity, originality and curiosity, ‘100 Points by Robert Parker’ understands the intelligence of a discerning audience of accomplished connoisseurs that appreciates the finer things in life, including a genuine interest in wine, and for who time to indulge their passions and pastimes is the ultimate luxury. This glossy quarterly is not a magazine about wine. Instead, it celebrates points of view—beyond viticulture and oenology—in an elegant, contemporary environment.

Those quick to dismiss the idea have apparently forgotten that this is not the first time Mr. Parker attempted to parlay his success in wine criticism into the lifestyle-magazine market. Here are a few examples of some of his previous, sadly unsuccessful efforts:

I can’t wait for the first issue of 100 Points!