Blog Index

James Suckling

Cults Shine in 2003 Against Top Bordeaux

Posted: 10:33 AM ET, 06/02/08

I am not so sure what it proved, other than that California cult wines are as good, or better, than the best of Bordeaux in a given vintage. But it’s fascinating to see how, in a blind tasting, the top wines from the two different regions can be very, very hard to differentiate from one another – especially when the Bordeaux come from a hot and ultra-ripe vintage such as 2003. Read more

Bruce Sanderson

Innovation in Hungary

Posted: 10:28 AM ET, 05/30/08

In my 15 years with Wine Spectator, I have often heard rumblings about improvements in the quality of the wines of Eastern Europe. Most of my tastings of these wines over that period proved disappointing. However, one area has moved forward by leaps and bounds (thanks in large part to foreign investment): Hungary's Tokaj region. Read more

Kim Marcus

Big Reds with a Lot of Soul

Posted: 10:01 AM ET, 05/30/08

On Sunday, I meet Sandra Tavares and her husband Jorge Borges at the Douro’s most exciting new restaurant, called D.O.C., which borders the river in the small village of Folgosa. It is run by a chef of bantam-rooster energy by the name of Rui Paula. Read more

James Laube

The Dirt on Unworthy, Funky Wines

Posted: 02:08 PM ET, 05/29/08

A couple of weeks ago I shared some of the superlatives I typically use in tasting notes to describe outstanding wines, those that score 90 points or higher.

A reader asked for and shall now receive some of the terms that typically show up in reviews for wines that dip below the 80-point mark. Read more

Harvey Steiman

Radically Different Pizza

Posted: 11:08 AM ET, 05/29/08

In researching my cover story on pizza (in the current June 30, 2008, issue of Wine Spectator), I came across some truly inventive options that went well beyond toppings. In the end, the story focused entirely on more traditional pizzas and modern variations, and omitted the most intriguing idea of them all—charcoal-grilled pizza, made famous by Al Forno in Providence, R. Read more

James Suckling

A Few Weeks More for Brunello

Posted: 04:20 PM ET, 05/28/08

Brunello di Montalcino producers were given a few extra weeks before their wines will be banned from the US market. On May 13, I reported in my blog post "Brunello's Mess Worsens" that producers had until June 9 to prove that what's on the label is consistent with what's in the bottle. Read more

Richard Betts

Playing It Safe in Italy

Posted: 03:24 PM ET, 05/28/08

I have recently returned from another really lovely trip to Italy. We spent more than a week in the Val d’Orcia, which lies to the south of Montalcino and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All in all, it was a really welcome break and super time spent with family and good friends. Read more

James Laube

Reflecting on Different Interpretations in Film and Wine

Posted: 01:31 PM ET, 05/28/08

Filmmaker Sydney Pollack was one of the first artists I heard discuss his works in person—what he intended to portray on the big screen and how they were interpreted.

Pollack, who died yesterday, directed and starred in many great films, among them They Shoot Horses Don’t They, Jeremiah Johnson, Tootsie and Out of Africa. Read more

Kim Marcus

Douro Thunderclap

Posted: 12:37 PM ET, 05/28/08

The descent into Porto began with a bolt of lightning and a thunderclap. I know that airplanes can survive lightning strikes, but I still wonder. It’s an inauspicious beginning to my third trip to the Douro Valley of Portugal.

I’m curious as to how many of you have tried a Douro red. Read more

James Laube

Shiners Are a Secret Part of the Wine Business

Posted: 02:28 PM ET, 05/27/08

Shiners are a big part of the wine business. But most people have never heard of them, even though they drink shiners all the time. That’s because shiners get a complete makeover and these otherwise often undistinguished wines are disguised by their labels. Read more

- Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 -