Dear Wine Spectator,
The February ’09 magazine highlights wine values around the world, everything from Alsace to Washington state. You discuss the up and coming wine regions across the globe, for example, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and Israel. And of course, devote several pages to the tried and true, California, France, and Italy. Not to be outdone, Oregon, Washington, and New York, followed by the other 46 states.
Wine is now produced in all 50 states. After the big four, however, quality and consistency suffer. Virginia’s Linden winery, led by Jim Law, is one bright spot in a state that always seems to promise more than it delivers. The Norton grape, popular in Missouri, delivers a unique iron tang allied to dark and strapping fig flavors; Mount Pleasant is one of that state’s top producers. Gruet sparkling wines from New Mexico, whites from Idaho’s Koenig and sweet wines from Vermont’s Snow Farm also caught our attention this year.
Always seems to promise more than it delivers? Obviously, the tasters have had one to many 100 dollar cabernets from Napa Valley. In case anyone was counting, that’s a grand total of 5 sentences, or 90 words that were dedicated to the other 46 states. I could be upset, cancel my subscription, and boycott your magazine. But instead, I think I’ll take your advice and open that Gruet Blanc de Noirs.
As somebody that lives in Virginia, it’s good to see that somebody else is annoyed with Wine Spectator (and really most of the major wine publishers) for their regular ignoring of any wine region that isn’t France, Italy, or California.
Hi George,
Thank you for your readership! I’ve been growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of editorial with each passing Spectator issue. I crunched the numbers this evening from their latest issue (84 wine reviews for the other 46 states in 2009 (or .48%) out of 17,500 reviews)! Zero editorial. It’s time someone speaks up and calls these publications out. Thank goodness for blogs.
Cheers!