Guys,

I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine available?
At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

TG

On 3-Apr-2005, Tyler > wrote:

> Guys,
>
> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
> available?
> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> TG

I would recommend both the Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) and Wine Spectator
as the 2 best on the market. However, as a word of caution... use the
tasting guides as reference only; learn which tasters have similar tastes to
your own and which do not.... both seem to be overall consistent in their
tasting notes and recommendations (personally I find Parker and James Laube
(WS) to be most in line with what I like). This gives you the opportunity
to try some new things that they have tasted which based on past experience
you should also like.

Since The Wine Advocate is not available except by subscription (that I am
aware of), you may want to start with this one (or borrow some issues from
someone) and maybe pick up a couple of issues of Wine Spectator to compare.
Wine Spectator also offers more educational/entertainment value, however I
am not particularly interested in this aspect of it... you may be.

I have also over the years occasionally picked up International Wine Cellar
(Stephen Tanzer), Food & Wine and Wine & Spirits but these don't seem to be
consistent with my tastes. I have personally never cared for Wine
Enthusiast.

Remember, just like with tasting, that all wine magazines are personal to
the writer and you may or may not agree with them from a tasting
perspective.

Good luck, and Cheers!
Gary

"Tyler" > wrote in message
...
> Guys,
>
> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
> available?
> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> TG

I would suggest "Decanter" and believe this is head and shoulders above the
rest. One magazine I would never subscribe to is Parker's "The Wine
Advocate", as I really dislike many the wines about which Parker raves;
however this is personal taste.

Ron Lel

Tyler wrote:
> Guys,
>
> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine available?
> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
> would be greatly appreciated.

Tyler,
"Best" is an entirely subjective term. There are many well-written,
serious wine magazines/journals. Which one is best for you will depend
on which critic's tastes come the closest to your own, which one reviews
wines you can find in your own market and which one reviews the types of
wines you like to drink. If you give us an idea of what wines you've
really liked in the past and where you're located, that would help us
make a worthwhile recommendation.

Mark Lipton

p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:58:54 GMT, "Ron Lel" > wrote:

>
>"Tyler" > wrote in message
...
>> Guys,
>>
>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
>> available?
>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> TG
>
>I would suggest "Decanter" and believe this is head and shoulders above the
>rest. One magazine I would never subscribe to is Parker's "The Wine
>Advocate", as I really dislike many the wines about which Parker raves;
>however this is personal taste.
>
>Ron Lel
>
I was waiting for that. I would suggest that "Decanter" is probably
only a good choice if the reader is British, or at the least living in
Europe. While the production is excellent, the language is very
"public school"/"stiff upper lip" sort of pompous and virtually
indecipherable to the humble American.

Little note is paid to a lot of US and down-under production and the
focus seems to be on stuff available in Harrod's.

As for the original question, I subscribed to Wine Spectator for
several years then dropped it a couple of seasons back. I recently
re-established my subscription and have been increasingly disappointed
in the magazine. The ratings list each month is certainly
comprehensive, but the sheer volume becomes quickly overwhelming.

The travel and dining features are occasionally interesting, but I've
also been disappointed when the features either covered a locale that
I'm familiar with or are so avant-garde as to be laughable. (I
recently commented on the Basque/Spanish "world's greatest chef" who
specializes in what is esssentially a huge gathering of eccentric
tapas like a balloon full of orange blossom aroma!) Coverage of fine
dining in Denver two months ago listed just three restaurants,
virtually none of which have gotten any favorable coverage in either
the Denver media or Colorado Springs. So, WS gets cancelled when the
year is up.

I've looked at Wine Enthusiast once or twice and found it attractive
with a broader coverage of features and probably fewer ratings than
WS.

My advice is to read some books on regions of interest and then do a
lot of personal tasting/research with a corkscrew. Establish a good
relationship with a quality wine merchant and you'll have as much
enjoyable wine in your cellar as any one could want.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:58:54 GMT, "Ron Lel" > wrote:

>
>"Tyler" > wrote in message
...
>> Guys,
>>
>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
>> available?
>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> TG
>
>I would suggest "Decanter" and believe this is head and shoulders above the
>rest. One magazine I would never subscribe to is Parker's "The Wine
>Advocate", as I really dislike many the wines about which Parker raves;
>however this is personal taste.
>
>Ron Lel
>
I was waiting for that. I would suggest that "Decanter" is probably
only a good choice if the reader is British, or at the least living in
Europe. While the production is excellent, the language is very
"public school"/"stiff upper lip" sort of pompous and virtually
indecipherable to the humble American.

Little note is paid to a lot of US and down-under production and the
focus seems to be on stuff available in Harrod's.

As for the original question, I subscribed to Wine Spectator for
several years then dropped it a couple of seasons back. I recently
re-established my subscription and have been increasingly disappointed
in the magazine. The ratings list each month is certainly
comprehensive, but the sheer volume becomes quickly overwhelming.

The travel and dining features are occasionally interesting, but I've
also been disappointed when the features either covered a locale that
I'm familiar with or are so avant-garde as to be laughable. (I
recently commented on the Basque/Spanish "world's greatest chef" who
specializes in what is esssentially a huge gathering of eccentric
tapas like a balloon full of orange blossom aroma!) Coverage of fine
dining in Denver two months ago listed just three restaurants,
virtually none of which have gotten any favorable coverage in either
the Denver media or Colorado Springs. So, WS gets cancelled when the
year is up.

I've looked at Wine Enthusiast once or twice and found it attractive
with a broader coverage of features and probably fewer ratings than
WS.

My advice is to read some books on regions of interest and then do a
lot of personal tasting/research with a corkscrew. Establish a good
relationship with a quality wine merchant and you'll have as much
enjoyable wine in your cellar as any one could want.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

In article >, says...
>
>Tyler wrote:
>> Guys,
>>
>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine available?
>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Tyler,
> "Best" is an entirely subjective term. There are many well-written,
>serious wine magazines/journals. Which one is best for you will depend
>on which critic's tastes come the closest to your own, which one reviews
>wines you can find in your own market and which one reviews the types of
>wines you like to drink. If you give us an idea of what wines you've
>really liked in the past and where you're located, that would help us
>make a worthwhile recommendation.
>
>Mark Lipton
>
>p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
>Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
>downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

Mark,

At last, a point on which we disagree. For its breadth of coverage, I like WS.
They do a passable job of covering the industry, plus the products, IMHO. As
for the ratings, well, I try to focus on the descriptions, and let the numbers
fall where they may. I do like the byline articles by Laube and Kramer, even
though I do find points of disagreement there too.

As Ed points out, their restaurant ratings can be a very poor joke, at times,
though I will often use their Web site's restaurant ratings as a starting
point, when going to a new city, or one in which I have dined at the "old
standbys" and want something new. Unfortunately, like so many restaurant
reviews, theirs are as full of PR, as most. As I do not gravitate to the
flashier, show-places, with a constant 125db hum, full of "must be seen-
types," most are over the top in production, and short on food. They do,
however, provide me with a base, from which to start.

I seem to end up with the new issue in my briefcase on an airplane, and find
that it makes good reading.

That said, I do agree with you on the inconsistancy of their ratings, but
don't get into a numbers crunching game with them. Matter of fact, I'd opt for
a complete description of each reviewed wine, and leave the numbers off. Is it
DaleW, who grades on a letter system? I like those types of TNs far better
than 98 out of 100. They tell me more of what I want in the first place - what
can I expect from a wine. I've had WS 70s that I loved, and high 90's that
left me asking, "what's the big deal?"

OK, maybe I only disagree with you on a few fine points! <G>

Hunt

In article >, says...
>
>Tyler wrote:
>> Guys,
>>
>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine available?
>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Tyler,
> "Best" is an entirely subjective term. There are many well-written,
>serious wine magazines/journals. Which one is best for you will depend
>on which critic's tastes come the closest to your own, which one reviews
>wines you can find in your own market and which one reviews the types of
>wines you like to drink. If you give us an idea of what wines you've
>really liked in the past and where you're located, that would help us
>make a worthwhile recommendation.
>
>Mark Lipton
>
>p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
>Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
>downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

Mark,

At last, a point on which we disagree. For its breadth of coverage, I like WS.
They do a passable job of covering the industry, plus the products, IMHO. As
for the ratings, well, I try to focus on the descriptions, and let the numbers
fall where they may. I do like the byline articles by Laube and Kramer, even
though I do find points of disagreement there too.

As Ed points out, their restaurant ratings can be a very poor joke, at times,
though I will often use their Web site's restaurant ratings as a starting
point, when going to a new city, or one in which I have dined at the "old
standbys" and want something new. Unfortunately, like so many restaurant
reviews, theirs are as full of PR, as most. As I do not gravitate to the
flashier, show-places, with a constant 125db hum, full of "must be seen-
types," most are over the top in production, and short on food. They do,
however, provide me with a base, from which to start.

I seem to end up with the new issue in my briefcase on an airplane, and find
that it makes good reading.

That said, I do agree with you on the inconsistancy of their ratings, but
don't get into a numbers crunching game with them. Matter of fact, I'd opt for
a complete description of each reviewed wine, and leave the numbers off. Is it
DaleW, who grades on a letter system? I like those types of TNs far better
than 98 out of 100. They tell me more of what I want in the first place - what
can I expect from a wine. I've had WS 70s that I loved, and high 90's that
left me asking, "what's the big deal?"

OK, maybe I only disagree with you on a few fine points! <G>

Hunt

In article >, says...
>
>Tyler wrote:
>> Guys,
>>
>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine available?
>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Tyler,
> "Best" is an entirely subjective term. There are many well-written,
>serious wine magazines/journals. Which one is best for you will depend
>on which critic's tastes come the closest to your own, which one reviews
>wines you can find in your own market and which one reviews the types of
>wines you like to drink. If you give us an idea of what wines you've
>really liked in the past and where you're located, that would help us
>make a worthwhile recommendation.
>
>Mark Lipton
>
>p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
>Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
>downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

Mark,

At last, a point on which we disagree. For its breadth of coverage, I like WS.
They do a passable job of covering the industry, plus the products, IMHO. As
for the ratings, well, I try to focus on the descriptions, and let the numbers
fall where they may. I do like the byline articles by Laube and Kramer, even
though I do find points of disagreement there too.

As Ed points out, their restaurant ratings can be a very poor joke, at times,
though I will often use their Web site's restaurant ratings as a starting
point, when going to a new city, or one in which I have dined at the "old
standbys" and want something new. Unfortunately, like so many restaurant
reviews, theirs are as full of PR, as most. As I do not gravitate to the
flashier, show-places, with a constant 125db hum, full of "must be seen-
types," most are over the top in production, and short on food. They do,
however, provide me with a base, from which to start.

I seem to end up with the new issue in my briefcase on an airplane, and find
that it makes good reading.

That said, I do agree with you on the inconsistancy of their ratings, but
don't get into a numbers crunching game with them. Matter of fact, I'd opt for
a complete description of each reviewed wine, and leave the numbers off. Is it
DaleW, who grades on a letter system? I like those types of TNs far better
than 98 out of 100. They tell me more of what I want in the first place - what
can I expect from a wine. I've had WS 70s that I loved, and high 90's that
left me asking, "what's the big deal?"

OK, maybe I only disagree with you on a few fine points! <G>

Hunt

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:15:54 -0600, Ed Rasimus
> wrote:

>On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:58:54 GMT, "Ron Lel" > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Tyler" > wrote in message
...
>>> Guys,
>>>
>>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
>>> available?
>>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>>> would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>>
>>> TG

>I was waiting for that. I would suggest that "Decanter" is probably
>only a good choice if the reader is British, or at the least living in
>Europe. While the production is excellent, the language is very
>"public school"/"stiff upper lip" sort of pompous and virtually
>indecipherable to the humble American.

I'm amazed it comes over that way the other side of the pond. Not
that I would recommend it either!

There's a lot of excellent books and web-based resrouces. I'f stick
to those.
--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:15:54 -0600, Ed Rasimus
> wrote:

>On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:58:54 GMT, "Ron Lel" > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Tyler" > wrote in message
...
>>> Guys,
>>>
>>> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
>>> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a connoisseur.
>>> Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine magazine
>>> available?
>>> At this point, I can't see subscribing to more than one, so any thoughts
>>> would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>>
>>> TG

>I was waiting for that. I would suggest that "Decanter" is probably
>only a good choice if the reader is British, or at the least living in
>Europe. While the production is excellent, the language is very
>"public school"/"stiff upper lip" sort of pompous and virtually
>indecipherable to the humble American.

I'm amazed it comes over that way the other side of the pond. Not
that I would recommend it either!

There's a lot of excellent books and web-based resrouces. I'f stick
to those.
--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
often the wines aren't available in US.

I've subscribed to a pretty wide variety over the years - WA, WS,
Decanter, etc. The only publication I currently pay for (I get Wine
Enthusiast free) is a newsletter, The Fine Wine Review (Claude Kolm).
The reasons:
1) Concentrates on (in order) Burgundy, Germany, Northern Rhone, and
Piedmont. Especially in Burgundy, with so many small production wines,
helpful to have help picking. In Bordeaux there's so much buzz and so
many reviews sent by retailers I don't feel I need to pay for more
info.
2) Cheaper than Burghound.
3) His palate in Burgs is fairly similar to mine (as opposed to say
Rovani).
4) Enjoy his descriptions
5) Like his dual rating system. A points for overall quality, then a
letter for typicity and for how it performs in its class. So a basic
Bourgogne might get an 89, but an A. While an 89 for a GC might earn it
a C.

While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
often the wines aren't available in US.

I've subscribed to a pretty wide variety over the years - WA, WS,
Decanter, etc. The only publication I currently pay for (I get Wine
Enthusiast free) is a newsletter, The Fine Wine Review (Claude Kolm).
The reasons:
1) Concentrates on (in order) Burgundy, Germany, Northern Rhone, and
Piedmont. Especially in Burgundy, with so many small production wines,
helpful to have help picking. In Bordeaux there's so much buzz and so
many reviews sent by retailers I don't feel I need to pay for more
info.
2) Cheaper than Burghound.
3) His palate in Burgs is fairly similar to mine (as opposed to say
Rovani).
4) Enjoy his descriptions
5) Like his dual rating system. A points for overall quality, then a
letter for typicity and for how it performs in its class. So a basic
Bourgogne might get an 89, but an A. While an 89 for a GC might earn it
a C.

DaleW wrote:
> While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
> disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
> pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
> Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
> geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
> often the wines aren't available in US.

LOL!! Now that you and Hunt, with whom I normally agree mostly, have
taken issue with my lack of enthusiasm for WS, I will attempt to justify
my statement. WS does indeed have broad coverage, but I think someone
interested in learning about wine would be better served to start with
an introductory book (see http://tinyurl.com/4tjbg for specific
recommendations), and for critical reviews to start with a publication
with more consistent reviews, such as Connoisseur's Guide or California
Grapevine for CA wines or Wine Advocate or Decanter for European wines.

One aspect of steering someone to WS is that if they attempt to go their
retailer to purchase those wines highly touted by the WS, they'll find
them either all gone or priced double the price published in WS (the
Sheeple Effect, of which we're all aware), which can be quite frustrating.

Again, YMMV, of course.

Mark Lipton

DaleW wrote:
> While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
> disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
> pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
> Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
> geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
> often the wines aren't available in US.

LOL!! Now that you and Hunt, with whom I normally agree mostly, have
taken issue with my lack of enthusiasm for WS, I will attempt to justify
my statement. WS does indeed have broad coverage, but I think someone
interested in learning about wine would be better served to start with
an introductory book (see http://tinyurl.com/4tjbg for specific
recommendations), and for critical reviews to start with a publication
with more consistent reviews, such as Connoisseur's Guide or California
Grapevine for CA wines or Wine Advocate or Decanter for European wines.

One aspect of steering someone to WS is that if they attempt to go their
retailer to purchase those wines highly touted by the WS, they'll find
them either all gone or priced double the price published in WS (the
Sheeple Effect, of which we're all aware), which can be quite frustrating.

Again, YMMV, of course.

Mark Lipton

All,

Thanks for the many helpful, and obviously thoughtful, comments. I'm not
surprised at so many different opinions, and I entirely agree that a
trustworthy and experienced wine merchant is ultimately the best way to
learn new things. I'll give the various publications you guys have
mentioned a shot, especially the ones that are available on the newsstands,
and see what appeals. I am definitely not a big fan of the lifestyle-type
magazines, but I'm also not against looking for something beyond just
reviews.

Many Thanks,
TG






Tyler > wrote in
:

> Guys,
>
> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a
> connoisseur. Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine
> magazine available? At this point, I can't see subscribing to more
> than one, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> TG

All,

Thanks for the many helpful, and obviously thoughtful, comments. I'm not
surprised at so many different opinions, and I entirely agree that a
trustworthy and experienced wine merchant is ultimately the best way to
learn new things. I'll give the various publications you guys have
mentioned a shot, especially the ones that are available on the newsstands,
and see what appeals. I am definitely not a big fan of the lifestyle-type
magazines, but I'm also not against looking for something beyond just
reviews.

Many Thanks,
TG






Tyler > wrote in
:

> Guys,
>
> I'm relatively new to the world of serious wine collection--that is, I
> generally know my way around a wine store but am far from a
> connoisseur. Can any of you recommend what you feel is the best wine
> magazine available? At this point, I can't see subscribing to more
> than one, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA,
>
> TG

Mark Lipton wrote:

> p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
> Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
> downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

I used to subscribe to Wine Spectator, but I let the subscription
lapse when (a) they started publishing editorials attempting to
dictate how wine should be made and (b) when the reviews became
inconsistent and, at times, downright puzzling. The credibility
was just shot to heck for me.

Dana

Mark Lipton wrote:

> p.s. FWIW, the one magazine that I would *not* recommend is the Wine
> Spectator, as I find their reviews to be inconsistent and at times
> downright puzzling. YMMV, though.

I used to subscribe to Wine Spectator, but I let the subscription
lapse when (a) they started publishing editorials attempting to
dictate how wine should be made and (b) when the reviews became
inconsistent and, at times, downright puzzling. The credibility
was just shot to heck for me.

Dana

I would suggest that you buy Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2005. Check
the date. Some stores will try to sell you an edition 2 or more years
out of date. Take this little book along to wine shops and restaurants.
It will give you a general idea about the nature and general quality of
most wines in the world that are likely to be found in international
trade. It will give you an idea of good vintages, which wines are ready
to drink, and which should be aged more. As you develop a taste for
specfic wines, you may want to buy a magazine or newsletter that caters
to your taste. There are not many full-sized wine magazines anymore, but
there are many newsletters and such. The only wine magazine I now take
is Decanter. It is very general and will have articles of both interest
and non-interest for any given individual. It does have articles and
vintage evaluations by some of the world's best tasters, many of them
MWs (Masters of Wine). If you live in the US, Australia, Germany,
Austria, or other important wine producers, you may want a more
specialized newsletter that covers the wines of that country. By far the
best wine publication for classic wines, in my opinion, was by Clive
Coates MW, but it is no longer published because of a health problem
Coates has. Coates evaluated Bordeaux and Burgudy when young, but also
did extensive tastings of older wines - sometimes very old classics.
This was extremely helpful when you only had a botte or two of a classic
and wanted to open it at the best time. At one time there were many more
wine publications in the US than now. I have never had a high opinion of
Parker, but I know many nearly worship him. Although not Parker's fault,
this has resulted in a great distortion of the price structure of wines.

Some of the larger city newspapers, such as the New York Times, have
wine reviews from time to time, and you often can find these reviews on
their web sites. Even if you do not agree with their reviews, their
tastings may give you some idea about new wines available in the city.



Reply to .

I would suggest that you buy Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2005. Check
the date. Some stores will try to sell you an edition 2 or more years
out of date. Take this little book along to wine shops and restaurants.
It will give you a general idea about the nature and general quality of
most wines in the world that are likely to be found in international
trade. It will give you an idea of good vintages, which wines are ready
to drink, and which should be aged more. As you develop a taste for
specfic wines, you may want to buy a magazine or newsletter that caters
to your taste. There are not many full-sized wine magazines anymore, but
there are many newsletters and such. The only wine magazine I now take
is Decanter. It is very general and will have articles of both interest
and non-interest for any given individual. It does have articles and
vintage evaluations by some of the world's best tasters, many of them
MWs (Masters of Wine). If you live in the US, Australia, Germany,
Austria, or other important wine producers, you may want a more
specialized newsletter that covers the wines of that country. By far the
best wine publication for classic wines, in my opinion, was by Clive
Coates MW, but it is no longer published because of a health problem
Coates has. Coates evaluated Bordeaux and Burgudy when young, but also
did extensive tastings of older wines - sometimes very old classics.
This was extremely helpful when you only had a botte or two of a classic
and wanted to open it at the best time. At one time there were many more
wine publications in the US than now. I have never had a high opinion of
Parker, but I know many nearly worship him. Although not Parker's fault,
this has resulted in a great distortion of the price structure of wines.

Some of the larger city newspapers, such as the New York Times, have
wine reviews from time to time, and you often can find these reviews on
their web sites. Even if you do not agree with their reviews, their
tastings may give you some idea about new wines available in the city.



Reply to .

In article >, says...
>
>DaleW wrote:
>> While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
>> disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
>> pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
>> Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
>> geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
>> often the wines aren't available in US.
>
>LOL!! Now that you and Hunt, with whom I normally agree mostly, have
>taken issue with my lack of enthusiasm for WS, I will attempt to justify
>my statement. WS does indeed have broad coverage, but I think someone
>interested in learning about wine would be better served to start with
>an introductory book (see http://tinyurl.com/4tjbg for specific
>recommendations), and for critical reviews to start with a publication
>with more consistent reviews, such as Connoisseur's Guide or California
>Grapevine for CA wines or Wine Advocate or Decanter for European wines.
>
>One aspect of steering someone to WS is that if they attempt to go their
>retailer to purchase those wines highly touted by the WS, they'll find
>them either all gone or priced double the price published in WS (the
>Sheeple Effect, of which we're all aware), which can be quite frustrating.
>
>Again, YMMV, of course.
>
>Mark Lipton

Both good points. How many times have I seen WS subscribers with the little
tear-outs haunting the aisles of a wine merchant with a really sour look on
their faces! One book that will go a long way toward general knowledge is The
Wine [Buyers?] Companion - book is upstairs and the carpet is still wet, so I
will gather ISBN, etc. and full, correct name tomorrow. It's about US$10 and
offers a very thorough coverage of most aspects of wine without the afore
mentioned bias.

Mark, please note, my disagreement was VERY slight!!!! <G>

Hunt

In article >, says...
>
>DaleW wrote:
>> While I generally agree with Mark Lipton on a lot of topics, I'll
>> disagree with him on this one. I'm no fan of WS, but if you're actually
>> pretty new to wine it probably is best geared to that audience. WA,
>> Burghound, etc are less general interest magazines than newsletters,
>> geared towards those that know basics already. I like Decanter, but
>> often the wines aren't available in US.
>
>LOL!! Now that you and Hunt, with whom I normally agree mostly, have
>taken issue with my lack of enthusiasm for WS, I will attempt to justify
>my statement. WS does indeed have broad coverage, but I think someone
>interested in learning about wine would be better served to start with
>an introductory book (see http://tinyurl.com/4tjbg for specific
>recommendations), and for critical reviews to start with a publication
>with more consistent reviews, such as Connoisseur's Guide or California
>Grapevine for CA wines or Wine Advocate or Decanter for European wines.
>
>One aspect of steering someone to WS is that if they attempt to go their
>retailer to purchase those wines highly touted by the WS, they'll find
>them either all gone or priced double the price published in WS (the
>Sheeple Effect, of which we're all aware), which can be quite frustrating.
>
>Again, YMMV, of course.
>
>Mark Lipton

Both good points. How many times have I seen WS subscribers with the little
tear-outs haunting the aisles of a wine merchant with a really sour look on
their faces! One book that will go a long way toward general knowledge is The
Wine [Buyers?] Companion - book is upstairs and the carpet is still wet, so I
will gather ISBN, etc. and full, correct name tomorrow. It's about US$10 and
offers a very thorough coverage of most aspects of wine without the afore
mentioned bias.

Mark, please note, my disagreement was VERY slight!!!! <G>

Hunt

<snip>
> Which one is best for you will depend
> on which critic's tastes come the closest to your own, which one
reviews
> wines you can find in your own market and which one reviews the types
of
> wines you like to drink.

<anti-snip>
Mark, I'm glad you mentioned the issue of availability. I dropped WS
after a one-year trial because 90% of the wines they reviewed weren't
available in Pennsylvania. Not WS's fault, of course. But I was also
disappointed that they paid scant attention to low-end wines.

Dan-O (can't afford 1st-growth Bordeaux)

In article >, says...
>
>In article >, says..

[SNIP]
>
>Both good points. How many times have I seen WS subscribers with the little
>tear-outs haunting the aisles of a wine merchant with a really sour look on
>their faces! One book that will go a long way toward general knowledge is The
>Wine [Buyers?] Companion - book is upstairs and the carpet is still wet, so I
>will gather ISBN, etc. and full, correct name tomorrow. It's about US$10 and
>offers a very thorough coverage of most aspects of wine without the afore
>mentioned bias.
>
>Mark, please note, my disagreement was VERY slight!!!! <G>
>
>Hunt

OK, here is the correct title, plus info:

"The Wine Lover's Companion," by Ron Herbst & Sharon Tyler Herbst, ISBN 0-
8120-1478-0. My copy does not list an edition #, but there is probably a newer
ver out, as mine is (C) '95, and cost about US$10, when released. They also
did a Food Lover's Companion, which has some great info on taste profiles,
spices, etc, plus a super glossery of foodie terms.

I use Wine Lover's as my go-to source, before taking out Oz Clarke, Jancis
Robinson, et al.

Hunt

In article >, says...
>
>In article >, says..

[SNIP]
>
>Both good points. How many times have I seen WS subscribers with the little
>tear-outs haunting the aisles of a wine merchant with a really sour look on
>their faces! One book that will go a long way toward general knowledge is The
>Wine [Buyers?] Companion - book is upstairs and the carpet is still wet, so I
>will gather ISBN, etc. and full, correct name tomorrow. It's about US$10 and
>offers a very thorough coverage of most aspects of wine without the afore
>mentioned bias.
>
>Mark, please note, my disagreement was VERY slight!!!! <G>
>
>Hunt

OK, here is the correct title, plus info:

"The Wine Lover's Companion," by Ron Herbst & Sharon Tyler Herbst, ISBN 0-
8120-1478-0. My copy does not list an edition #, but there is probably a newer
ver out, as mine is (C) '95, and cost about US$10, when released. They also
did a Food Lover's Companion, which has some great info on taste profiles,
spices, etc, plus a super glossery of foodie terms.

I use Wine Lover's as my go-to source, before taking out Oz Clarke, Jancis
Robinson, et al.

Hunt

If you really want to learn about wines and cut through the hype, you
have to read publications like Wines and Vines (articles are available
at findarticles.com), Vineyard & Winery Management (vwm-online.com) and
the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (American Society for
Enology and Viticulture www.asev.org).

If you really want to learn about wines and cut through the hype, you
have to read publications like Wines and Vines (articles are available
at findarticles.com), Vineyard & Winery Management (vwm-online.com) and
the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (American Society for
Enology and Viticulture www.asev.org).

Ed Rasimus > wrote:

> (I recently commented on the Basque/Spanish "world's greatest
> chef" who specializes in what is esssentially a huge gathering
> of eccentric tapas like a balloon full of orange blossom aroma!)

If you are talking about Ferran Adriá, he's not Basque but Catalan.

M.

Ed Rasimus > wrote:

> (I recently commented on the Basque/Spanish "world's greatest
> chef" who specializes in what is esssentially a huge gathering
> of eccentric tapas like a balloon full of orange blossom aroma!)

If you are talking about Ferran Adriá, he's not Basque but Catalan.

M.