Pros: Excellent Writing/Photography, Engaging and Useful Stories and Articles
Cons: subscription price
The Bottom Line: Wine Spectator offers both neophytes and veterans something interesting and useful and is well worth the money and the time to read it
jps246's Full Review: Wine Spectator Magazine Subscription
Trying to decide between a merlot and a zinfandel? Wine Spectator is both a magazine for people trying to learn more about wine and a magazine for people already deeply involved in the wine world looking for news and stories.
Why would you want a magazine on wine? There are plenty of other topics to read about, but some people get really worked up on their wine and want as much as information, news and stories on that wine as possible. That’s where Wine Spectator steps in and fills the niche. Each issue combines that information in an interesting and entertaining (educational for fellow wine neophytes like myself) package.
The Details
Published 17 times a year (roughly every three weeks), a subscription to Wine Spectator will cost you $45 for the year. A single issue will cost you $4.95.
Each issue is made up of several different main sections that include the Cover Story, Features, Departments and The Buying Guide.
The Cover Story is exactly what you would expect, that is the main story on the cover. The Features section includes other stories that may have been featured on the cover of the magazine or are otherwise major articles or stories in their own right. This section is broken down further into Tasting Reports (stories on different wines), Food (matching wines with foods) and Dining (look at various restaurants). These two sections have included stories on good wines to buy, tasking California Rhones, how to combine raw cuisine with wine and looking at new restaurants and their wine lists in New York City.
The Departments section includes several small sections:
This Issue is a column from the Editor included in each issue.
Upfront is a quick round up of the latest news in the wine world and includes information on various stories from Napa Valley to Chile’s winemakers.
In-Depth is a deeper look at a topic pertinent to the wine world. In this issue, the new Mayor of San Francisco’s love of wine is looked at.
The Savvy Shopper is a quick look at various wines that are available that are both priced right and are of high quality.
Tastes is both a recipe an article where often the recipes are included in the story. The latest issue looks at how to prepare various meat shanks in the most delicious ways possible.
Letters is the obligatory letters to the Editor that just about every other magazine also has.
There are a few other small sections within the Departments that include regular editorial columns from various writers and wine enthusiasts, a look at collecting and in the new year issues, an index to the previous year’s issues.
The Buying Guide gives the reader a chance in each issue to look at wines that have been reviewed and judged by the Editor’s at Wine Spectator. The write-ups on each wine are fairly short, but give the reader a good understanding of what to expect from the wine, along with it’s price and a comparison rating with other wines included in The Buying Guide.
Each issue is around 150 to 170 pages long and probably about a 1/3 or so of that is made up of advertisements. They are generally well integrated into the magazine and are not annoying or distracting.
Wine Spectator has a website at http://www.winespectator.com where you can read stories from the current issue, purchase back issues, learn more about wine, get yourself a magazine subscription, manage your subscription and more.
My Feelings
I started picking up an issue of Wine Spectator here and there to get a better understanding of wine. I like wine, but never knew what kind went with one meal, or the difference between all the different versions. Well, I can’t say that I am a wine expert, but I do know a bit more about the topic and at least when I’m at a restaurant, I don’t have to sit there with a dumbfounded look when reviewing the wine list.
The subscription is fairly pricey and is the main reason I’ve stayed away from getting a subscription and anyhow, I feel as someone with only a passing interesting, an issue every couple of months is as good for me as an issue for a wine expert is every three weeks.
Final Thoughts
Well worth the subscription price (and probably well within the price range of wine aficionados), Wine Spectator is an excellent look at the news, the stories and most especially the wines that make up the wine world.
Advertisements are kept to a minimum, with a three week publication schedule, stories and articles are always current, and with quality writing and photography, Wine Spectator is always an enjoyable read.
While Wine Spectator probably won’t make you a wine expert, it does offer both neophytes and veterans something interesting and useful and is well worth the money and the time to read it.
Wine Spectator magazine features fine dinning, wineries, wine producers and all things wine. Find restaurant reviews, cooking and entertaining feature...More at Magazines.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.