[5] For over ten years, he was assistant general counsel for the Farm Credit Banks of Baltimore; he resigned in March 1984 to focus on writing about wine.

The first issue was sent free to consumers from mailing lists Parker purchased from several major wine retailers.

[6] More than twenty years later, The Wine Advocate has over 50,000 subscribers, primarily in the United States, but with significant readership in over 37 other countries.

"[7] A lengthy profile of Parker entitled "The Million Dollar Nose" ran in The Atlantic Monthly in December 2000.

One of the most influential and controversial features of Parker's wine criticism is his 100-point rating system, which he popularized in conjunction with his friend Victor Morgenroth.

Retailers in North America often mark wines with Parker's point scores, using printed cards attached to the shelves.

Mediocre wines will then be dismissed while those with potential are tasted twice or three times in succession before the final score is determined.

Critics such as Golo Weber claim that Parker likes less-acidic, riper wines with significant amounts of oak, alcohol, and extract.

[citation needed] The globalist domination of the oenological press by Parker's ideas has led to changes in viticulture and winemaking practices, such as reducing yield by green harvesting, harvesting grapes as late as possible for maximum ripeness, not filtering the wine, and using new techniques—such as microoxygenation—to soften tannins.

Indeed, certain low-producing "boutique" wineries, among others, have received high scores from Parker for wines made in this style.

Parker disputes the notion of growing homogeneity and argues for the opposite: "When I started tasting wines, in the 1970s, we were on a slippery slope.

Parker says that when he asked for a bandage to stop the bleeding from his leg, Hebrard instead gave him a copy of the offending newsletter.

The famous controversy around the Château Pavie 2003 is an example of this: despite Parker's positive ratings, the wine in bottle sold 30% cheaper than en primeur.

[37]Hay also argues that Parker's ratings are more influential, and prices more sensitive to his en primeur scores, where—as in Saint-Émilion—the official system of classification is more flexible and less prestigious.

[37][38] Parker strongly influenced the creation of garagiste wines, created by a group of innovative winemakers in the Bordeaux region of France.

Parker's influence on Burgundy wines was lessened as the result of a libel lawsuit filed against him by Domaine Faiveley.

[42] Parker has stated very clearly, both in The Wine Advocate and his books, that his advice stands on high ethical standards, and that independence and impartiality constitute his two most important values.

[citation needed] Several published sources offer accounts that may call Parker's independence and impartiality into question.

That article fails to mention that Mr. Bassin sold Parker a list of MacArthur's customers for use in mailing out the first, free issue of the Advocate, a potential conflict of interest.

[50] Yale University professor, econometrician, and lawyer Ian Ayres wrote about Robert Parker's conflict with Orley Ashenfelter, the publisher of Liquid Assets: The International Guide to Fine Wines,[51] in his book Super Crunchers.

Ashenfelter devised a formula for predicting wine quality based on weather data such as rainfall and temperature that Parker characterized as "ludicrous and absurd."

Ashenfelter was able to show that Parker's initial ratings of vintages had been biased upward, requiring him to revise his rankings downward more often than not.

His Gran Cruz de Orden Civil from King Juan Carlos in August 2010 made him the first wine writer to receive Spain's highest civilian honor.