Robert Lawrence Balzer
Encyclopedia
Robert Lawrence Balzer has been called the first serious wine journalist in the United States. He was born in Des Moines
, Iowa
. At the age of 24, he was put in charge of the wine department of his family’s grocery/gourmet market in Los Angeles
, California
. Because he knew nothing about wine, he quickly educated himself on the subject. Balzer soon championed quality California wine
s and stocked his shelves with the best American wines available. He promoted wine in his customer newsletter and was asked by Will Rodgers Jr. to write a regular wine column in his local newspaper in 1937.
which was a precursor to the matching of French and Californian wine at the Judgment of Paris. Balzer oversaw food and wine at the 1981 presidential inaugurations of Ronald Reagan
in 1981 and 1985 and for George H. W. Bush
in 1989.
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. At the age of 24, he was put in charge of the wine department of his family’s grocery/gourmet market in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Because he knew nothing about wine, he quickly educated himself on the subject. Balzer soon championed quality California wine
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
s and stocked his shelves with the best American wines available. He promoted wine in his customer newsletter and was asked by Will Rodgers Jr. to write a regular wine column in his local newspaper in 1937.
Accomplishments
In 1948 he published California’s Best Wines, the first of his 11 books. His wine writings have included articles published in travel Holiday for over twenty years, a weekly column in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, and Robert Lawrence Balzer’s Private Guide to Food and Wine. In 1973, Balzer organized the New York Wine Tasting of 1973New York Wine Tasting of 1973
The New York Wine Tasting of 1973 was organized by pioneering alcohol journalist Robert Lawrence Balzer. He assembled 14 leading wine experts including France’s Alexis Lichine, who owned two Chateaux in Bordeaux, a manager of the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, and Sam Aaron, a prominent...
which was a precursor to the matching of French and Californian wine at the Judgment of Paris. Balzer oversaw food and wine at the 1981 presidential inaugurations of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1981 and 1985 and for George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
in 1989.
Further reading
- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. NY: Scribner, 2005.