Comments on: Dear Wine Spectator

By: Richard Heritage

Richard Heritage — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 22:39:59 +0000

This is a GREAT post. Well said.

By: George R Perry

George R Perry — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:23:39 +0000

Everytime I go to my parent’s house and there’s a copy of WS on their coffee table I shake a finger at them. As big drinkers of VA wine I don’t know how they can read it personally.

By: David

David — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:33:05 +0000

Well Put. The Spectator can be quite boaring sometimes. I sometimes wonder if it owns land or vineyards in California because of its coverage. How about those virginia wines? Really getting good!

By: Brian Kirby

Brian Kirby — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:01:20 +0000

Hi Nancy,
I’d LOVE to see that data! I may be going out on a limb, but I guarantee they’re missing the mark with younger wine drinkers (in my opinion, a very, very valuable demographic). A recent magazine I just began reading and one that focuses on local wine is Mutineer magazine. Although not exclusively wine, the fine beverage publication is filling a void in the market. Cheers!

By: Nancy Bentley

Nancy Bentley — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:10:43 +0000

The Wine Spectator could earn some brownie points by repeating an issue they did some years ago: “Wine in America”. There is so much focus on locavores and slow food, it’s long overdue. It would be interesting to see their subscription demographic; are they capturing any younger wine drinkers?

By: Carl Helrich

Carl Helrich — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:58:33 +0000

Brian,

I applaud your sentiments and your courage to stick it out there regarding Spectator. In this day and age of buy fresh/buy local, I find it inexcusable to ignore what’s around you. Especially the when what’s near is perhaps more exciting than the tried-and-true–who needs another Napa Cab anyway?

As a winery that used to receive high-80s from Parker twenty years ago, I feel that most of the major critics have missed the boat. Progress is progress, and they’re missteps allows folks like you to rise to the top.

Keep up the great blog!

Carl

By: Brian Kirby

Brian Kirby — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:15:18 +0000

Gary,
Long overdue:)

Jacob,
Agreed! We’ll keep shining the light on local wines and spreading the word!

DrinkLocalWine,
I’m a stat guy and immediately crunched the numbers after reading the latest issue.

Jeff,
Thank you for the kind words and readership. Well said and definitely my story. Like Randy (aka The Wine Whore) said in the first comment, “score one for blogs that anxiously pick up the slack and take over viewing time from wine loving eyeballs”).

By: Mark's Wine Club

Mark's Wine Club — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:54:42 +0000

I’m not even sure you can say the other 46 and have that really be accurate. The WS California map typically stops around Santa Barbara, not that there is a lot of quality wines being made in SoCal, but to cut off the map, really?

I think the WS has yet to adjust to the new economic realities, people aren’t going to pay $100+ for average wine from Napa any more. Yes, the great wines will always sell, but we luckily get more and more choices each and every year.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:38:35 +0000

Great post, and well written. Like many I also cut my teeth on WS, but as with you quickly out grew it when I realized it was the cheap romance novel equivalent of great literature.

WS won’t change anytime soon, but eventually disruptive technologies like blogs and other forms of new media will supplant their outdated model of pay for play.

The world is no longer flat.

Cheers.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:42:02 +0000

Glad you dumped them. Franky I’m surprised you lasted this long. One can only stand so many vintage charts.