tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post3767468380463079180..comments2024-03-28T02:36:57.726-07:00Comments on Good Wine Under $20: Budget Friendly Choices On Wine Spectator's Annual Top 100 Wines ListDr. Debshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02892131332003571463noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-72770879503269774822006-12-01T08:13:00.000-08:002006-12-01T08:13:00.000-08:00Hi Jack, and welcome. Of course, some don't live a...Hi Jack, and welcome. Of course, some don't live anywhere near a good wine shop (I lived in such a town once, so I know this to be true. It was 45 minutes to the nearest decent store--and the owner was a Cal Chard lover so he loved oak. I do not.) I think it's a problem both to accept all the Wine Spectator's recs without thinking, or to reject them all. When I was just starting to learn about wine, I read Spectator, Decanter, and W&S religiously cover to cover. I learned a lot, and seeking out their recommended wines helped me learn about varietal characteristics which is my preferred way for tasting and selecting wines. Slavish adherence to the 90+ pointers and never buying anything else is, I admit, a problem. But everyone needs to start somewhere and I think you can do a lot worse than picking up a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc--one of their picks.Dr. Debshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02892131332003571463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-37764907177539345012006-11-30T19:14:00.000-08:002006-11-30T19:14:00.000-08:00The WS Top 100 is not where I would go to find a w...The WS Top 100 is not where I would go to find a wine, any wine. At any price.<br /><br />You're so much better off choosing from employee recommendations from a very good wine store of imports from top importers in such a price range. Importers such as Terry Theise/Michael Skurnik, Jorge Ordonez and Domaine Select.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-86742526932322808372006-11-29T10:57:00.000-08:002006-11-29T10:57:00.000-08:00I also prefer the approach Wine & Spirits takes to...I also prefer the approach Wine & Spirits takes to their reviews and find their profiles of wineries more in depth and broad-minded than WS, but (as I said over at Fermentation), I do think they are following the WS format for reviews which I think is a shame. And their food recs are sometimes nuts--"try this with seared boar" is not likely to be a consumer friendly tip!Dr. Debshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02892131332003571463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-58995119276312383762006-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:002006-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:00No doubt the WS editors do their best to sprinkle ...No doubt the WS editors do their best to sprinkle in the less expensive wines, in their effort to appear more populist than they really are. I strongly recommend Wine & Spirits magazine's top 100 wineries issue, now out. The write-ups are both deeper and more passionate. I'd also add that the distinctions between the methods used by each of the major glossy buying guides vary significantly. I covered this angle extensively in two pieces for Wines & Vines: <br /><br />http://winesandvines.com/feature_july_06_tish.html <br /><br />http://winesandvines.com/feature_sept_06_tish.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-86999180038799499152006-11-26T17:20:00.000-08:002006-11-26T17:20:00.000-08:00Welcome back, David! It was an interesting read fo...Welcome back, David! It was an interesting read for me and far less daunting than previous lists price-wise. Looking forward to reading your sparklers note in a few weeks for WBW #28.Dr. Debshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02892131332003571463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-57550780270789119602006-11-26T17:19:00.000-08:002006-11-26T17:19:00.000-08:00Welcome, Terry. I think the overall increase in wi...Welcome, Terry. I think the overall increase in wine quality does play a role, as does the increasing market share of wines from Australia, New Zealand, and Chile--all places that seem to be able to make great wine for a great price.Dr. Debshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02892131332003571463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-86944629133662009062006-11-25T05:24:00.000-08:002006-11-25T05:24:00.000-08:00Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check out their l...Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check out their list. Curious to see if I've tried many!Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08253267999981564817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6053780638267491912.post-59736362216387278742006-11-24T13:55:00.000-08:002006-11-24T13:55:00.000-08:00Maybe, just maybe, part of the reason for the grea...Maybe, just maybe, part of the reason for the greater presence of less expensive wines is that WS is seriously taking note of them for the first time, and that the overall quality of wine IS increasing. (And we know that is is, long term. No comparison between the average wines of the 60s and 70s and today. Infinitely better today.)<br /><br />It's just a theory, of course. You may be closer to the mark when you suggest that WS is showing more price sensitivity. The very rich, we hear, are continuing to get rich at an alarming rate; maybe WS's less exalted readership is feeling a bit more pain right now.<br /><br />Cheers -- Terry @ mondosaporeStrappohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12319806062075949179noreply@blogger.com