Pierre Rovani to leave Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Rovani, who was largely responsible for reviews on Burgundy, South Africa, and the Pacific Northwest of the United States since 1996, says he is leaving to pursue a career working in the wine trade.

On erobertparker, Rovani offered these comments:

“Early in my tenure with The Wine Advocate, I was often asked if I missed anything from my previous life as a wine merchant. My responses were always the same: I missed my constant contact with people and the adrenaline rush of making “the deal.”

He added: “Therefore, I have decided to return to the wine trade and have recently initiated discussions with some people who are interested in what I have to offer.”

Wine International also reports that he may not be the first.

There is speculation that another contributor, Daniel Thomases, who writes on Italian wines, is also expected to leave the Parker stable.

What does this exodus mean for the Parker franchise? Job openings baby! I doubt Parker has the time to pick up the slack all by himself.

You can read Pierre’s post on erobertparker.com here, or visit Wine International.com for the news story.