In the Nov. 30, 2006 Issue | Articles

In the Nov. 30, 2006 Issue:

Previous issue: Nov. 15, 2006

Cover Story

Wine Collecting Sooner or later, every wine lover begins laying down a few bottles to age; we take a look at the different aspects of becoming a serious collector, from building a cellar to building up a collection

Constructing a Cellar There's a lot to consider when it comes to designing and building a personal wine cellar Kristiana Kahakauwila
Modern-Day Cave Men For some collectors, a wine cave is the ultimate way to store and enjoy their treasures Jan Walsh
Boom Times for Wine Auctions A lot has changed in the auction world in the past decade, from the venues to the bidders to the wines themselves Peter D. Meltzer
- Wine Spectator Online Subscribers to Wine Spectator Online can search the site's complete auction database, which tracks prices and performance for more than 15,600 cellar-worthy wines. Also available are an analysis of the latest auction results and a calendar of upcoming sales in our Collecting section.

Features

Tasting Report

Argentina Malbec shines among other impressive reds, but not all producers have mastered it James Molesworth

Wine Spectator Online Bonus Video: Learn more about Argentina by joining senior editor James Molesworth as he tastes three Malbecs to showcase the differences between eastern, central and southern Mendoza. Watch Parts one and two.

Mendoza Terroir A look at how nature affects wine character in one of Argentina's best growing regions
New Faces Profiles of 10 Argentinean wineries on the road to success

Australian Whites Chardonnay and Riesling stand out among the country's best white wines Harvey Steiman

Wine Spectator Online Bonus Video: Discover more about Australian Riesling and Chardonnay, as editor at large Harvey Steiman explains how the styles of these wines are influenced by the different regions in which they're produced.

California Merlot Uneven weather delivers lean wines in 2003, but there are still many high quality 2002s on the market Tim Fish

Travel

Southern Charms Three Carolina inns pair top-notch service with down-home hospitality Bruce Schoenfeld

Wine Spectator Online To get travel information for many other U.S. regions, check out our Web site's Wine Country Travel section, along with our searchable databases of hotels, wineries and award-winning restaurants.

People

Twin Peaks in Bordeaux An in-depth profile of Pierre Lurton, the first man ever to simultaneously operate two top-growth wine estates Bruce Schoenfeld

Wine Spectator Online Bonus Video: Pierre Lurton talks about the challenges and joys of running two top châteaus, and why he loves his job

Dining

Atlanta's New Tempo A revitalized Ritz-Carlton and an explosion of activity in midtown rekindle the city's culinary spirit John Mariani

Wine Spectator Online John Mariani has covered fine restaurants across the country and around the world; view his complete archives

Departments

This Issue Marvin R. Shanken

Upfront Michelin publishes guide to San Francisco dining; Château Latour owner purchases Domaine Engel; vigneron Henri Jayer, 84, dies; cease-fire allows for harvest in Israeli and Lebanese vineyards; Lubéron is the next wine region on the big screen; New Zealand wine pioneer makes great Gewürztraminer—and that's it; two iconic chefs find new homes in New York City

Wine Spectator Online Keep up with breaking news about the wine world every day.

Tastes Flavored oils; wine country cottages; coffee innovator George Howell; Mrs. Peel, you're needed

Wine Spectator Online To learn more about different cooking oils-from the various types of olive oils to the wide range of oils made from nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables-visit our online Encyclopedia of Food.

Wine Spectator Online Read about home espresso makers and other coffee machines in our online Encyclopedia of Food.

Columns

James Laube Lessons in collecting

Wine Spectator Online In his recent blog posts, James Laube has discussed the joys of aged Chardonnays, sharing wine with his son and traveling to Italy.

Matt Kramer And the award goes to ...

Harvey Steiman Seeing Red

Collecting Latest auction highlights; Central Coast Wine Classic auction raises money for art; Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction hits the jackpot in Sin City; Wild Boar Wine cellar stays near home

Wine Spectator Online Subscribers to Wine Spectator Online can search the site's complete auction database, which tracks prices and performance for more than 15,600 cellar-worthy wines. Also available are an analysis of the latest auction results and a calendar of upcoming sales in our Collecting section.

Wine Talk Itzhak Perlman Harvey Steiman

The Buying Guide

For complete reviews of more than 163,000 wines, use Wine Spectator Online's Wine Ratings Search, where you can sort by region, variety, vintage, price, score and tasting date.

TOP 100 Wines of 2006 On Nov. 13, we'll begin unveiling the Top 10 wines of 2006, followed by the complete Top 100 list. All of our readers will have access to the names of the wines, but you must be a subscriber to get the tasting notes. Visit our site for a schedule of the countdown, and don't miss this exciting event!

BONUS VIDEOS Meet the winemakers featured in Wine Spectator's latest articles, and watch the magazine's editors discuss the wines they've been tasting. For this issue, Pierre Lurton talks about running two of Bordeaux's greatest châteaus, Cheval-Blanc and Yquem. Plus, senior editor James Molesworth compares Malbecs from Argentina (parts one and two), while editor at large Harvey Steiman tastes Australian Chardonnay and Riesling. You can also subscribe to Wine Spectator's weekly video Podcast on iTunes.

NEW TRAVEL FORUM Planning a trip to wine country? Get tips from fellow readers or share your own on wineries, restaurants, hotels and wine stores worth visiting. We're also covering entertainment, so you can exchange recommendations on museums, golf courses, sporting venues and more.

IMPROVED WINE SEARCH Find more than 164,000 wine reviews-with scores, complete tasting notes and drink windows-on our searchable online database. Plus, get additional information such as auction prices on certain bottlings.

EXPANDED VINTAGE CHARTS Wine Spectator's vintage charts, now more than 35 in total, have been updated with both the latest vintages and more comprehensive coverage of older ones. Check our editors' scores and drinkability recommendations for each year in all of the world's major wine regions.

THANKSGIVING TIPS Get fresh ideas for your holiday meal, as well as wine pairing recommendations for the turkey and trimmings.

GUEST BLOGGERS We started off with celebrity chef Charlie Trotter and California Pinot Noir producer Brian Loring, who joined us in October to share their insights on food and wine. Our newest guest bloggers are Delmonico's sommelier Kevin Vogt and rocker Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies. And, as always, our senior editors are constantly blogging about their latest tastings and dining experiences.