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Wine Spectator

American wine magazine

Summary

American wine magazine

Field	Value
title	Wine Spectator
image_file	Wine_Spectator_Cover.jpg
image_size	250px
category	Wine magazine
language	English
editor	Marvin R. Shanken
editor_title	Editor and publisher
company	M. Shanken Communications
firstdate	April 1, 1976
country	United States
based	New York City
website
issn	0193-497X

Wine Spectator is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine, wine culture and wine ratings. It is the flagship publication of M. Shanken Communications, which also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.

Wine Spectator editors review more than 15,000 wines each year in blind tastings. Wines are reviewed on a 100-point scale. Every issue contains 400 to 1,000 wine reviews with detailed tasting notes and drink recommendations

Each year since 1988, the publication has released its Top 100 list, where editors select the most exciting wines from the thousands reviewed during the course of the year. The Top 100 includes the coveted Wine of the Year honor.

Jeffery Lindenmuth is executive editor. As of 2023, senior editors include Bruce Sanderson, James Molesworth, Alison Napjus, MaryAnn Worobiec, Tim Fish, Kristen Bieler and Aaron Romano.

Past wine tasters include former managing editor Jim Gordon, Per-Henrik Mansson, former senior editor and European bureau chief James Suckling, who served at the magazine from 1981 to 2010, and former senior editor Nathan Wesley, who worked in the magazine's tasting department from 2005 to 2013.

Thomas Matthews served as executive editor from 1999 until his retirement in January 2021.

Longtime senior editor Kim Marcus, who helped shape the magazine's global coverage of wine for more than three decades, died in January 2022.

Background and history

The offices of ''Wine Spectator'' in [[Napa, California

Founded as a San Diego–based tabloid newspaper by Bob Morrisey in 1976, The Wine Spectator was purchased in 1979 by Marvin R. Shanken, who transformed the bi-weekly newsletter focused on California into a glossy consumer magazine that covers the whole world of wine.

In 1981, the magazine introduced its Restaurant Awards program, which reviews restaurant wine lists on three levels: the Award of Excellence (basic), Best of Award of Excellence (second-tier), and the Grand Award (highest).

In 1986, the magazine organized and sponsored the Wine Spectator Wine Tasting of 1986 on the tenth anniversary of the Judgment of Paris.

Events

Wine Spectator hosts the New York Wine Experience, an annual event that includes wine tastings, seminars, lunches and an awards banquet. In 2023, more than 4,000 attendees attended in New York City, where they sampled some of the world’s best wines: a total of 339 wines poured from 16,872 bottles into 48,582 glasses. Each year at the event, culinary stars participate in a Chef's Challenge, where their wine pairing skills are put to the test. José Andrés, Eric Ripert, Emeril Lagasse and Danny Meyer are all regular participants.

The magazine's Grand Tour takes the tastings on the road to three cities each spring, with more than 200 wines, all rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator editors, poured at the events.

In 2023, Wine Spectator announced a partnership with Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, with the joint venture elevating the festival's lineup of fine wine and spirits, and all wines poured throughout the festival being rated 90 or higher by Wine Spectator

Philanthropy

The magazine also runs the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation. Since its founding in 1982, the Foundation has raised more than $30 million to support wine and food education and scholarship programs.

In 2021, the Foundation donated $10 million to Napa Valley College, supporting the college's Viticulture, Wine and Technology program teaching spaces. Construction of the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center, a 7,000-square-foot classroom building featuring flexible sensory classrooms and lab stations, is set to commence in spring 2024.

In 2017, it pledged $1 million to the Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Program.

In 2014, it granted $3 million to Sonoma State University, toward a new building for its Wine Business Institute.

Criticism

The magazine's Restaurant Awards program has come under some criticism. whose aim was to discover what it takes for a restaurant's wine list to receive an award from the magazine. With nearly 4,500 restaurant applications, the magazine takes in over $1 million each year from submission fees. Editor Thomas Matthews published an official response on the magazine's forum site.

References

Special 30th anniversary issue of Wine Spectator, 2006 (April 30), 31(1).

References

"About Us".
"About Our Tastings".
"Top 100".
"Wine Spectator Taster Profiles".
"About Us - Editors".
(July 14, 2010). "Senior Editor James Suckling Retires from ''Wine Spectator''".
Lechmere, Adam. (July 15, 2010). "Shock as Suckling leaves ''Wine Spectator''".
"Wine Spectator's Worobiec and Wesley Promoted to Senior Editor".
"Some Thoughts About Tom".
Zimmerman, Liza. (January 20, 2022). "Kim Marcus".
Laube, James. (March 28, 2005). "Bob Morrisey, Wine Spectator Founder, Dies".
"Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards".
"2023 New York Wine Experience".
"Palm Beach's Iconic Food & Wine Festival is Back".
"Giving Back: The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation – Wine Spectator's 40th Anniversary".
"Wine Spectator Foundation Donates $10 Million To Napa Valle College".
"Napa Valley College unveils new wine education center".
"Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation pledges $1M to WSU Wine Science Program".
"Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation Awards Sonoma State $3 Million".
Hesser, Amanda, ''The New York Times''. (July 9, 2003). "A Wine Award That Seems Easy To Come By".
(15 August 2008). "What does it take to get a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence?".
Bonné, Jon, ''San Francisco Chronicle'': The Sipping News. (August 21, 2008). "Awards: 'Hoax' on the Wine Spectator". The San Francisco Chronicle.
Mitham, Peter, ''Wines & Vines''. (August 19, 2008). "Economists Question Real Value of Wine".
Hirsch, Jerry, ''Los Angeles Times''. (August 22, 2008). "Wine Spectator drinks a hearty glass of blush".
Yarrow, Alder, Vinography.com. (August 19, 2008). "Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards Exposed as a Total Farce".
Coleman, Tyler, ''Dr. Vino''. (August 19, 2008). "Fictitious restaurant wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence".
Bone, James, ''The Times''. (September 2024). "The wine had a whiff of the barnyard . . . hoax review leaves noses out of joint".
Milmo, Cahal, ''The Independent''. (August 23, 2008). "Honour for restaurant that doesn't exist".
Ozersky, Josh, ''New York Magazine''. (August 21, 2008). "'Wine Spectator' Forum a Hotbed of Non-Controversy".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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