I'm a hypocrite

[wondersofwine]

I don't put a lot of value in "Wine Spectator" ratings--and yet I was irked that they didn't review DeLoach Zinfandels in the latest issue with reviews of zinfandels!
(The reviewer liked Archery Summit, Argyle and Ponzi pinot noirs but didn't rate the Ponzi quite as high as I would have.)
I probably will save this issue because of the article on traveling in the Central Coast region of California. The restaurant they review (in Carmel-by-the-Sea?) is not one I've heard of. Wonder if it is new in the last couple years.

[Drew]

Me thinks they rate paid subcribers and those who "donate".

Drew

[Kcwhippet]

Of course that's how it works. You'll notice that in the previous issue on LA, they had an article on the best wine shops in LA. Did you see the Wine Expo? You would have if the article was based on valid, unbiased data, but obviously it wasn't.

[Botafogo]

Thanks for catching our back there. The truth is they don't like the fact that we point out what morons and despots they are regularly in our newletters and copy the editors of every other wine magazine in the world and all affected parties as well.

Recent WS funnies:

A review of a Vivace Barbera (vivace means lively and the wine said on the label it was fizzy and to serve it cold) as "strangely effervescent, amateurish winemaking, 61/100 tasted twice"

Pointing out that dispite James Suckling's assertion that "the Regions of the Valtellina and Abruzzo are not on the radar screens of even the most devout lovers of Italian Wines" they wines were, in fact, in worldwide distribution, had enormous press in tens of languages and were our two most popular zonas with scores of wines from over twenty cantine available daily. Suckling responded that "The 'famous' wines of the Valtellina and Abruzzo may be better known in Santa Monica but I doubt it since I was born and raised just around the corner in the Palisades and know a little bit about the area". (He has lived in Europe for at least a decade.) We printed ALL of this plus our list of the wines and press from Singapore to South Africa and sent it to tens of thousands of people as a public service.

We made a cover story congratulating Nicodemo Librandi on his Cirò getting a review of "71/100 an ancient style of winemaking" (as if that would be a bad thing) and made it our wine of the month. We cannot keep that wine in stock and, yes, it IS an ancient style of winemaking in the same way that The Psalms and Dante are an ancient style of writing.

But, if you want to know what hotel to spend your expense account money in or compare pictures of expensive watches and cars, they're your guys....

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 05-20-2003).]

[winoweenie]

Think I was there on their first release. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]ww