ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE KICKS OFF U.S. MATTER OF TASTE TOUR IN CHICAGO

 
 
CHICAGO, IL – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (eRobertParker.com), the world’s most recognized authority on wine, is debuting its inaugural Matter of Taste tour on U.S. shores in 2015 as part of a global series of exclusive events for eRobertParker.com members and guests.
 
The tour is a continuation of a global series of no-holds-barred fine wine tastings for eRobertParker.com members and their guests. Matter of Taste will feature hundreds of wines rated 90 points and above by The Wine Advocate, handpicked by its world-renowned team of experts. Each city will celebrate a distinct theme, focusing on various major wine regions with each stop.
 
Taking a connoisseur's look at ‘Rhone Varietals Across Terroirs’, the American leg of the tour kicks off in Chicago on Saturday, May 23 2015 with wines handpicked and presented by Wine Advocate reviewer, Jeb Dunnuck (who Robert Parker famously called “a younger version of myself writing about the Rhone”). The very special evening will provide members, their guests and new eRobertParker.com subscribers with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the vintners behind some of the world's most extraordinary wines, with four master classes preceding an expertly paired, four-course winemaker dinner.
 
The tasting reception and dinner will be held from 6:30pm - 11pm at the Park Hyatt Chicago’s Grand Salon Ballroom. Master Classes run from 3pm – 6:30pm and will feature the wines of Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle, Cayuse, Donelan Family, Le Vieux Donjon, La Peira, Domaines Lupier and Iberica Bruno Prats. Tickets are available for general purchase at a-matter-of-taste.com/.
 
“Matter of Taste is our way of saying a heartfelt thank you to our members who we know are the most knowledgeable wine lovers on the planet,” said Editor-in-Chief, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW. “It’s a tasting for members to experience world-class wines in an entirely new way while meeting the winemakers and estate owners who craft them. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to welcome new members into the world of Robert Parker.”
 
The Matter of Taste series commenced in 2014 with walkabout tastings in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur followed by London in February 2015. Following the Chicago debut of Matter of Taste in the U.S., walkabout Grand Tastings will be held in Miami on September 26 2015, San Francisco on November 14 2015 and New York City on February 20 2016.  
 
The three walkabout Grand Tastings offer a rare opportunity to experience the most iconic wines of the world in a casual walk-around tasting atmosphere. Additionally, Matter of Taste is proud to debut a semi-blind component for the first portion of each walkabout tasting, wherein members will have the opportunity to experience an entirely new slant on the traditional walkabout tasting experience.
 
Annual members of eRobertParker.com are entitled to discounted tickets ($250) to the Chicago Matter of Taste tasting reception and winemaker dinner. Non-member tickets ($349) include a one-year membership to eRobertParker.com and access to over 400,000 professional wine reviews and articles. Further details and booking information are available at a-matter-of-taste.com/. Stay tuned for further announcements regarding venues, reviewer-selected wines, Master Classes, ticket sales and private dinner events for Miami, San Francisco and New York in the coming weeks.
 
About Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate          
For more than 35 years, The Wine Advocate, and later RobertParker.com, has been the global leader and independent consumer’s guide to fine wine. The brand was established by world-famous Robert M. Parker, Jr., the only critic in any field to receive the highest Presidential honor from three countries – France, Italy and Spain. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate provides a wealth of information to its subscribers, including a searchable database of more than 400,000 professional wine ratings and reviews plus articles, videos, daily news content, online retail availability and pricing, an active, professionally moderated bulletin board, a mobile app for easy access to the comprehensive online database of reviews, and much more. For more information, visit http://www.eRobertParker.com.