5: Eric Asimov

I'll Drink to That! Wine Talk

Levi Dalton

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4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2012

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eric Asimov is the Chief Wine Critic of "The New York Times".

Eric describes how he started working for "The New York Times," and relates the story behind the creation of the restaurant review column "$25 and Under". He also discusses the wine panel he convenes for tastings at "The New York Times". He talks about his impact as a wine critic, as well as the availability of wines throughout the world. He provides an assessment of recent changes regarding wine writing, wine lists, and sommeliers. Eric also speaks about those who have inspired him, and divulges what he wants to achieve through his articles.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Levy Dalton and this is all drink to that where we get behind the scenes of the wine business. Oh, So I'm here today with Eric Asmafu is the wine critic and I think that is your title
0:31.3	although maybe chief wine critic
0:33.4	although you might not call yourself a wine critic per se I know that that's
0:37.6	terminology I don't mind the term but it has more meaning as a times insider term.
0:45.0	You know, Frank Pryl was my predecessor.
0:49.0	30 years he worked there.
0:51.0	Well, he worked there for a long time and he was the first wine columnist in a daily newspaper.
0:57.0	And so we're talking about the New York Times, I don't think I got that out there.
1:00.0	Yes, the New York Times.
1:02.0	And he's really kind of set the form in a lot of ways.
1:06.0	He created the mold as far as being, as far as integrity and being a reporter first and a guy who's responsible to the readers not to the wine industry
1:20.0	but he never had the title of of wine critic the way we you know at the times we have a restaurant critic and a dance critic
1:28.1	Sure different departments movies music and and so on and and so on and so on and so I'm the first person to actually be called the the wine critic there and it's
1:38.8	not it's not that I have a particular distinction, but it indicates that the times has come around to recognizing that wine is part of our culture.
1:51.5	And so it deserves to be looked at critically and analytically in the way we look at various arts and food and other things.
2:02.0	Sure.
2:03.0	Well I appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us and I guess the first question we should
2:07.5	get out of the way.
2:09.3	It seems everyone wonders at one time or another is, are you related to the guy who coined the term
2:15.1	robotics came up with the three laws and wrote the 400 short stories Isaacasimov?
2:20.6	The 400 short stories I think it's actually you're selling them short.
2:25.3	Maybe five or six hundred complete books.
	...

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