Being a critic isn’t an easy job. Whether it’s about food, music, art, movies or wine, a critic must not only give their opinion on their topic of their expertise but do so in a way that in itself attracts an audience if those criticisms are going to find their way into print or other media. In the twenty-first century, the power of an individual critic also may continue to be diluted as more and more blogs, websites and “tweets” express the opinions of everybody and anybody able to sit in 
front of a keyboard and type. There still seems to be a demand for expert opinions about the arts and maybe the internet also serves as much as an amplifier for critics as much as for those who are in the moment critical of their last dining, wining or viewing experience. It just may depend on whose opinion you want or relate to most: that of an expert or that of an enthusiast. The musings of a critic may now be surrounded by those with far less expertise, dedication and research but the information age allows for writers to interact with their audience at a safe distance and instantaneously that was never before possible and for a downloadable syndication of their feedback to an exponentially larger following.
For the Israeli culinary scene, one man had stood out for decades as a critical voice louder than all others. American born, Daniel Rogov, who passed September 6th, had written longer and more prolifically than anyone about Israeli food and wine for close to thirty years. When no one else cared enough to comment on the Israeli food & wine scene, he blazed a trail that now dozens of writers follow in writing for publication or the ether of the net. It was surely a lonely scene at the start and one without much glory. Twenty five years ago, there wasn’t much to get excited about concerning Israeli dining and the wines were even less remarkable if not generally bad. But the two industries grew up together, and Daniel had given poignant praise and condemnations thousands of times since he first started.
Surely, some restaurants and wineries prospered as a result. Many consumers can suffer from information overload or fear of making a bad choice when deciding to eat out or or buying a wine and a little push in the right direction can help them decide to whether stay at home or dine out, buy a familiar bottle or try a new wine, winery or vintage or even step up to a wine they wouldn’t dare without the confidence of a critic’s opinion backing their play. It’s convenient for many to blame the critic when you put their faith in them and you’re disappointed when what they may have raved about then fails to meet heightened expectations. But criticisms reflect a moment in time and can not protect a diner from an off night for a chef or a restaurant in decline after living on its laurels or even the rare bottle that’s corked or just left opened for too long or at the wrong temperature. Rarely, do we see parades for critics who saved us the expense of seeing a bad movie or paying too much for too little quantity or quality of food. In wine, I have seen the same winemakers celebrate Rogov when he lauded their libations and scold him when he gave them less accolades than they perceived they deserved.
Whether or not a winery or restaurant deserved the merit of his recommendation or the infamy of his disdain, public criticisms do inspire introspection and reflection that for many may have led to better products and service along the way. Too many restaurant and winery owners can suffer from overconfidence that borders on arrogance or insecurity that dampens their ambitions. This can ultimately affect how many people and for how long they share their talents with the general public. A respected and publicized critic can provide a certain level of accountability to the public as well as a coach to those who have the humility and desire to perfect their craft. The level of accountability that Rogov, as he called himself, wielded may not be measurable over the 25 years he wrote but anyone in the industry can attest, it has been felt and will not be easily replicated.
A critic, and Rogov was no exception, is often a lightening rod for criticism as readers or the criticized often attack the critic instead of the validity of their opinions. And as we become more familiar, we can become more full of contempt whether its for our subject or the critic passing judgement. It’s a measure of a critic, I think, that no one restaurant or winery was ignorant of Rogov’s reviews and he was more cited by anyone when I talked about Israeli wines and that’s all I’ve done now for years.
One personal anecdote, at Sommelier (Israel’s largest annual wine trade expo in Tel Aviv), a couple years back, a young pourer asked me. “Guess who I just had a cigarette with?” and without a moments hesitation I responded “If you were to ask me “guess who I just had a glass of wine with”? at a wine event this big I could never guess but if you ask me who you just smoked a cigarette with it has to be Rogov.” It was Rogov as a matter of fact but I don’t tell this to illustrate a criticism of Rogov as a taster but to show that he came of age as a writer when dining and cigarettes literally went hand in hand and before many of us as diners and wine lovers entered the trade. Now that he’s passed some might say he was of a different age but would we celebrating this golden age of great wines and culinary expertise in Israel if he hadn’t shined a light on where we’ve been and where we need to be.
