Wine Spectator Gives "Award Of Excellence" To Fake Restaurant

The news that Wine Spectator magazine was scammed into giving an Award of Excellence to a non-existent restaurant has been greeted with guffaws by schadenfreude fans and with fury by the magazine's editor.

But longtime readers of the Dining section might have seen this coming. Five years ago Amanda Hesser wrote that the magazine granted the award, the lowest of three levels of recogntion by the magazine, without actually inspecting the restaurants involved. Restaurants submitted a wine list, a menu and an explanation of their wine program. (Like the wine writer Robin Goodstein did with Osteria L'Intrepido, the fake restaurant in Milan.) "The basic award is not that hard to get,'' the magazine's executive editor, Thomas Matthews, told Amanda.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[kellygrrrl]

so?
we gave the White House to a Fake Patriot.

[ReelBusy]

I'm not going to feel sorry for a "scammed" magazine as it seems the "awards" they "give" out are the real scam detailed here.
Luckily for a check for $250 I will send them a framed Magazine Award of Excellence that will help them get through this difficult period.

[maximus1]

You have to pay to get the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" too

[JScott]

I didn't think it could be considered an 'Award' if you have to send em a check for $175 to get it, isn't it called a 'Purchase'.

[jsgaetano]

Hey, I'm sure everyone working for Wine Spectator would LOVE to spend all their time running around the globe checking out each and every restaurant.

But somehow, I don't think WS (or almost any other magazine) has that kind of budget.

Although really... they could at least look the restaurant up in a phone book or something.

[johnnygoodwud]

reap what you sow

[beaupritchard]

hehehehe ...