Previous issue: Dec. 15, 2006

Cover Story

The 2006 Top 100  Our annual roundup of the year's most exciting wines shows high quality across the board and better prices for wine lovers  Bruce Sanderson

Wine of the Year  Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 achieves a beautiful balance of the depth and richness that wine lovers crave and a freshness and character that's unique to Tuscany  James Suckling

• Top 100 at a Glance

• Profiles of Wines Nos. 2 to 100

• Top 100 by Region & Variety

• Wines of the Year, 1988-2005

• Top-Scoring Value Releases of 2006

• 10 Years of Top 10s

• Classic-Scoring Wines of 2006

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Get more insight into how this year's Top 10 wines were chosen, as Wine Spectator senior editors explain the decision-making process. Plus, watch highlights from the Wine Experience tasting of the Top 10 of 2005.

Features

Tasting Report

Champagne  From rich vintage bottlings to entrancing rosés, France's Champagne region delivers excellent quality in every style  Bruce Sanderson

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Learn more about the wines of Champagne as senior editor Bruce Sanderson compares three styles: a blanc de blancs, a rosé and a blend.

American Sparkling Wines  California leads in the U.S. sparkling wine department, which is offering more outstanding bubblies than ever  Tim Fish

Piedmont  Exceptional red wines are widely available following an unprecedented string of outstanding vintages from 1996 to 2001  James Suckling

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Visit one of Piedmont's top producers, Pio Cesare, during harvest in Il Bricco vineyard. Owner Pio Boffa talks about the Nebbiolo grape and the quality of the 2006 vintage.

Oregon  Pinot Noir goes from strength to strength, but it's time to be choosy among the newer producers  Harvey Steiman

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Learn how Pinot Noirs express their vintage and terroir in editor at large Harvey Steiman's latest tastings. Plus visit Beaux Frères during harvest, as winemaker Michael Etzel explained how they tell that the grapes are ripe.

Greece  The country's table wines pair well with Greek cuisine, with the whites offering distinctive flavors and firm structure  Kim Marcus

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Join managing editor Kim Marcus as he tastes Greek whites that show the uniqueness of this historic winegrowing country.

Dining

The Perfect Dinner  What would the ideal meal consist of? A Wine Spectator contributing editor brings together his favorite courses to create a dream dinner  John Mariani

Books

Wine Lover's Library  Wine Spectator editors review the latest books on wine, from an Australia wine atlas to a chronicle of Thomas Jefferson's love of wine

Events

The California Wine Experience  San Francisco hosts a weekend of monumental wine tasting that encompasses the cutting edge in California, France, Spain and beyond  Dana Nigro

• A Comparison of Napa Cabernets  Tim Fish

• Tasting the Top 10 of 2005  MaryAnn Bovio

• Four Chefs Face Off  Dana Nigro

• Highlights From Maison Joseph Drouhin  Tim Fish

• Matt Kramer's Wines of Conviction  Eric Arnold

• Around the World of Pinot Noir  Daniel Sogg

• A Showcase of 10 Great Spanish Wines  Daniel Sogg

• Wine Spectator Online   Bonus Video: Pay a visit to the 2006 Grand Tastings and all the seminars; our camera crew even went behind the scenes to check on the celebrity chefs in the kitchen.

Departments

This Issue  Marvin R. Shanken

Upfront  Champagne house takes control of Pichon-Lalande; Copia faces massive debt; Washington winemaker David Lake retires; Frank Gehry in Rioja; Kendall-Jackson Founder Targets Younger Wine Drinkers; Sonoma Growers Battle Rot; Wine & Health: Drinking Cabernet May Cut Risk of Alzheimer's, Study Finds; GrapeVine

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

Tastes  Soy sauce; a decanter with a vacuum stopper and pump; for the love of whisky; a real cut-up; Heirloom Beans

• Wine Spectator Online  Read Sam Gugino's article about umami, the fifth taste, in our archives. Or learn more about wine matches for soy sauce in our Encyclopedia of Food.

Columns

James Laube  The best of both worlds

• Wine Spectator Online  In his recent blog posts, James Laube has discussed vintage rating charts, Napa Cabernets and his visits to some of Napa's newest restaurants.

Matt Kramer  My wines of the year

Collecting  Wine auction records shattered; Hart Davis Hart hosts a charity auction and dinner at Tru; top chefs help in the fight against hunger; Second Single-Cellar Sale Proves Twice As Nice

• Wine Spectator Online  Subscribers to Wine Spectator Online can search the complete auction database for prices on collectibles, read analysis of the latest auction results and view a calendar of upcoming sales.

Wine Talk  Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan  Eric Arnold

The Buying Guide

For complete reviews of more than 165,000 wines, use Wine Spectator Online's Wine Ratings Search, where you can sort by region, variety, vintage, price, score and tasting date.

FIND A WINE SHOP  Need to do some holiday shopping for the wine lovers in your life? Our Wine Shop Search features more than 2,600 retailers around the world. BONUS VIDEO  Wine Spectator Online's bonus videos bring sight and sound to the stories in this issue. See what goes into picking Wine Spectator's Top 10 wines each year; view moments from this year's California Wine Experience; visit wineries such as Oregon producer Beaux Frères and Piedmont's Pio Cesare estate during harvesttime; and watch tastings of Champagne, Oregon Pinot Noir and Greek whites conducted by Wine Spectator's senior editors. You can also subscribe to Wine Spectator's weekly video Podcast on iTunes.

SEASONAL ENTERTAINING  Whether you're hosting an intimate dinner or throwing a huge party, we'll help you pull off a great gathering, with festive recipes and crowd-pleasing wines that won't bust your budget. NEW YEAR'S EVE  Start 2007 off right by toasting with one of our recommended Champagnes or California sparkling wines. Plus, get great party recipes to match the bubbly. HOLIDAY TRAVEL  Taking advantage of the winter break to go somewhere fun? Check out our Wine Country Travel section, now with tips on where to stay and eat in San Francisco, and our Restaurant Search database, with 3,700 wine-friendly dining spots around the world. 2005 RHÔNE CELLAR NOTES  Senior editor James Molesworth visited the Northern Rhône to bring you the scoop on upcoming wines. Look for his analysis of the 2005 vintage and his cellar notes from top domaines in Condrieu, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage.