The bombshell that Tim Atkin’s weekly wine column in the Observer is to be “slashed” to a three item laundry list (as Decanter gleefully reported on Monday) may have SA marketers reevaluating their guest list for the FIFA 2010 freebee in SA, but exporters need not fear a collapse of sales in Blighty as a consequence. For the connection between punditry and shifting stock is as clear as the link between astrology and predicting the future. While the first tier of commentators like Oz Clarke, Andrew Jefford and Jancis Robinson may have some effect, Tim was always a third order batsman. Heck, if having Wine Spectator rate Columella 95/100 (the best SA rating ever) resulted in zero sales in the US in the past 36 months for Eben Sadie, what value a Tip from Tim?