Here at the IWM we’ve never been afraid to express our opinions on wine writing and ethics, despite the fact the following still seems as relevant as ever:
(In the interest of ethics, disclosing that we stole this from 1winedude.com.)
Wine writing and ethics remain topics about which we feel strongly, both at a broader industry level as well as a personal one – after all, you have to live according to your own conscience. The grey areas of paid-for wine reviewing and lack of disclosure and transparency in wine writing are as topical as ever. We hope it is clear from our website and from our many previous articles on the topic, that we value professional writing ethics, independence, integrity, disclosure and transparency. Surely there are things worth supporting and defending?
To this end:
- we do not accept payment for wine reviews
- we do write about what we like, how we like
- we do accept samples, under the proviso we are under no obligation to review them, positively or otherwise
- we also purchase and write about any wines that take our fancy
- we do accept invitations to industry-funded events, which may include travel, but again under no obligation to provide any editorial or other coverage. Junkets are also avoided. Disclosure is all
- we don’t solicit nor expect gifts/services but from time-to-time, cannot avoid receiving small, unsolicited gifts (but please don’t send unannounced cheese or shellfish again …)
- yes, we do have wine-producing friends in the industry – after all, we are still human. We hope they too appreciate our commitment to honest, independent wine writing