Previous issue: June 30, 2007

 

Brunello’s Golden Age   A combination of stellar vineyards and gifted winemakers has made Brunello di Montalcino the world’s best Sangiovese-based red

• Wine Spectator Online BONUS VIDEOS:   Hear about other Italian wine regions; Sandro Boscaini of Masi winery in Valpolicella talks about making Amarone, and Alois Lageder introduces you to the Alto Adige.

Cream of the Crop   An insider’s guide to Brunello’s top 10 producers

Map of the Region

Travel to Montalcino   Set amid pastoral scenery, this historic hilltop town offers high quality hotels, restaurants and enotecas

• Wine Spectator Online  For more great wine-country destinations around the world, check out our online Dining & Travel resources, including our newly revamped Hotel Search.

The Mariani Factor   Brunello is one of Italy’s greatest wines. An American family has played a key role in its success

Features

Tasting Reports

Changing Chardonnay California's top white excels in 2004 and 2005, with the latter vintage offering a wider range of styles than in years past

• Wine Spectator Online BONUS VIDEOS:  Meet Peter Michael, a British wine collector who founded what is now one of Sonoma's top Chardonnay wineries. Plus, hear from Beringer winemaker Laurie Hook about Chardonnay from Napa and Carneros.

Washington's New Way   Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are in the driver's seat when it comes to top reds

• Wine Spectator Online (PDF Format):   Alphabetical guide to Washington wines, complete list of notes accompanying this report.

Menu

Dining on Long Island’s North Fork   A bounty of land and sea from New York wine country makes a wonderful summer meal

Wine

Inside South Africa   The Cape's wines are growing at a breakneck pace in quality and quantity, and this special report reveals what might lie ahead

• Wine Spectator Online  Read James Molesworth's April 30 tasting report, "South Africa's Serious Syrahs," along with his "ABCs of South Africa," from our online magazine archives.

Wine Spectator Grand Tour   Wine lovers across the nation convene for the annual event, which brought together more than 200 wineries

Departments

This Issue

This Issue

Upfront

  

2007 Southern Hemisphere snapshots; Jess Jackson’s horse wins the Preakness; study finds that Champagne protects brain cells from injury; screw caps gain acceptance; GrapeVine

• Wine Spectator Online  Keep up with breaking news as well as the people, places and happenings that wine lovers are talking about.

Tastes

  

The wide world of olives; supersmooth goat butter; choosing coffee that’s safe for rare wildlife; Berlin Hot Spot: Restaurant 44; Squeeze Me

• Wine Spectator Online:  Visit our website to read about California wineries that are now growing olives and making their own oils.

Columns

James Laube   Coming clean

• Wine Spectator Online:   For more on James Laube’s 2006 Cabernet barrel tastings, see his blog as well as his scores and complete reviews of all 50 wines.

Matt Kramer   Sauvignon Blanc has it all

Collecting

  

Two top charity auctions break records; California Winemasters event raises $1.52 million; collecting Q&A

• Wine Spectator Online New FREE Newsletter:  Our biweekly Collecting & Auctions e-mail newsletter provides ratings of collectible wines, answers to your collecting questions, auction news and more. Sign up or view a sample.

Wine Talk

Wine Talk   Chef Grant Achatz

The Buying Guide

View a list of all tasting notes from this issue. Or for more than 199,000 tasting notes, use WineSpectator.com's Wine Ratings Search, where you can sort by region, variety, vintage, price, score and tasting date.

HOTELS, RESORTS AND INNS  Find the perfect place to stay during your next wine-country trip. Our revamped Hotel Search lists great accommodations that have been reviewed by Wine Spectator. NEW BLOGGERS  Join the conversation with our latest guests: Rajat Parr, wine director for Michael Mina's restaurant group, takes a stand on terroir, alcohol levels and other interesting topics. Andrew Carmellini, of A Voce in New York, reveals his formative experiences as a chef. Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator's managing editor, shares the discoveries he made on his recent trip to Austria's wine regions. VINTAGE CHARTS  Get the latest vintage ratings of the top regions. For each current vintage and past exceptional years, Wine Spectator editors provide a score and drinkability rating.

INDEPENDENCE DAY Coming Soon:  We recommend some great American wines for celebrating the Fourth of July. VIDEOS Coming Soon:  Watch this issue's articles come to life: Italian vintners take you beyond Tuscany: Sandro Boscaini of Masi winery explains Amarone, while Alois Lageder introduces you to the Alto Adige. Peter Michael, a British wine collector, talks about how he founded a top Sonoma winery. Editor at large Harvey Steiman showcases three different styles of Washington Syrah in his latest tasting. Beringer winemaker Laurie Hook discusses the different personalities ofthe winery's Chardonnays from Napa and Carneros. FORUMS  Got an opinion on wine, food pairing or wine-friendly places to eat out? Share it with your fellow readers in our forums. E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS  Our four newsletters deliver essential information straight to your inbox: Wine & Healthy Living  Health news, answers to your health questions and wellness tips Collecting & Auctions  New ratings of collectibles, auction news and expert analysis of the market Video Theater  Weekly updates of new videos Sips & Tips  Great value-wine recommendations, plus dining, travel and wine advice