James Laube, Senior Editor, Napa
Tasting Beat: California

James Laube is Wine Spectator's expert on the wines of California. He has been writing for the magazine since 1980, and he joined the staff full-time in 1983. The second edition of Laube's third book, California Wine, was published in 1999. The first edition of California Wine won the 1996 James Beard Award for best wine book of the year. His previous two books are California's Great Cabernets and California's Great Chardonnays.

Kim Marcus, Managing Editor, New York
Tasting Beat: Austria, Greece, Portugal (table wines), southern France

Kim Marcus joined the Wine Spectator staff in San Francisco in 1988 and was reassigned to New York in 1993. He has been a regular taster since 1990.

Thomas Matthews, Executive Editor, New York
Tasting Beat: Spain

Thomas Matthews has been writing for Wine Spectator since 1987, when he was a freelancer living in Bordeaux. Hired full-time in 1988, Matthews served first in the London office, then was reassigned to New York.

James Molesworth, Senior Editor and Tasting Coordinator, New York
Tasting Beat: Argentina, Chile, Loire Valley, Rhône Valley, South Africa

James Molesworth joined Wine Spectator in 1997, after working five years in retail wine sales and as a sommelier. He has been a regular taster since 2000.

Bruce Sanderson, Senior Editor & Tasting Director, New York
Tasting Beat: Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Germany

Bruce Sanderson joined Wine Spectator in 1993, after working for the previous five years as a wine steward and in retail wine sales. As tasting director, he oversees Wine Spectator's tasting operations in New York, San Francisco and Europe.

Harvey Steiman, Editor at Large, San Francisco
Tasting Beat: Australia, New Zealand, Oregon, Washington

Harvey Steiman joined Wine Spectator in 1984, after serving as food and wine editor of the San Francisco Examiner. Steiman's book Essentials of Wine, published in 2000, is a comprehensive introduction to wine basics.

James Suckling, Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief, Tuscany
Tasting Beat: Bordeaux, Italy, Port

James Suckling joined Wine Spectator in San Diego in 1981. He moved with the magazine to San Francisco in 1982, and in 1985 was reassigned to Europe. He lived in Paris for two years and then moved to London, where he resided for 11 years. He now lives in Tuscany, Italy.

Suckling began blind-tasting young Bordeaux in 1983 with the late author and wine producer Alexis Lichine, and he has continued to rate every vintage of Bordeaux in barrel and in bottle ever since. He spends at least a month each year in Bordeaux tasting wines and visting châteaus. He also tastes the wines of Italy for the magazine, reviewing more than 2,000 samples a year.

Suckling's book Vintage Port was published in 1990. He continues to write about and rate the fortified wines of Portugal.

Dana Nigro, Senior Editor, Managing Editor of Wine Spectator Online, New York

Dana Nigro joined Wine Spectator Online in 1998 as news editor, and from 1999 through early 2006, was responsible for our global coverage of breaking news for both the magazine and the website. She now oversees all the editorial content for Wine Spectator Online.