Robert Parker's Campogate Report now out

The report prepared by Cozen O'Connor with assistance from Kroll Associates is now out on erobert – published 10th April 2012.

It's main findings and recommendations are that there was an 'appearance of impropriety' and the report makes a number of recommendations on improving the managing of the Wine Advocate team to bring it into line with Robert Parker's long standing code of ethics. Relations with Pancho Campo and The Wine Academy of Spain should be severed. None of Jay Miller's reports from visits made in Spain in the second half of 2011 should be published by The Wine Advocate. Miller's notes from the tasting of DO Vinos de Madrid on 1st December 2011 were published on 29th February 2012. (This tasting was arranged at the last moment and there was never any suggestion made that DO Vinos de Madrid had been asked to pay – unlike the early proposed event which Madrid declined.) 

'The joint investigation, which was conducted over a four-month period, resulted in an extraordinary detailed report containing more than 2000 pages of exhibits. In summary, the investigation did not reveal any evidence that Jay Miller received anything of value to visit wineries or taste wines on behalf of The Wine Advocate. Nonetheless, the investigation revealed that arrangments in Spain  – whereby tastings for The Wine Advocate were allowed to occur in close proximity to paid, private events – created an appearance of impropriety that fell short of the high standards that The Wine Advocate set for itself.'

More to follow.