Time for a truce on alcohol levels
There's no more contentious issue in wine than alcohol level, with true believers on both sides refusing to acknowledge that the opposition has merit.
Blind Tasting: Unreliable but Necessary
Blind tasting is an artificial experience, but it's essential for critics. It's the only fair way to discover unknown wines, and to judge famous wines without succumbing to reputation.
Rioja Gran Reserva: Expensive — But a Remarkable Value
When it comes to "quality, value, availability, and excitement," Rioja leaves most regions in the dust.
Aging potential? What aging potential?
This is a common sentence in wine reviews: "Should continue to develop for 10-12 years." You see it all over the Wine Spectator. In the Wine Advocate, it's characteristically more enthusiastic: "Explosive flavo...
Natalie MacLean: World’s Best Wine Writer or Content Thief?
Natalie MacLean is a well-known wine writer who proudly proclaims she was named the “World’s Best Wine Writer” at the World Food Media Awards. Unfortunately, Ms. MacLean appears to be building her reputation, and her business, on the work of others.
In Defense of the Wine Spectator Top 100
Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year will soon be unveiled, serving to make good wines unavailable or, if they're available, unaffordable. It's the time of year when interesting wines dry up for the avera...
The 30-Year War
If sommeliers want to win their 30-year war with critics, they must harness the power of validation.
Scorevolution – The Point(less?) Debate
A group of wine lovers—Scorevolution— decide to create a digital “manifesto” decrying the current-day failings of the 100-point wine-rating scale. They encourage wine lovers, both individuals and organizations, to sign on in cyberspace.