Wines

Best California Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

California's wineries have made real headway in the hierarchy of collectible wines. Since the early 90's, a few have set themselves apart as so-called "cult wines", largely because of their limited ... read more

Best California Chardonnay

Though the red wines of California have garnered the most interest on a global scale, there are some superlative white wines being made as well, with an emphasis on the Chardonnay grape. This list names the top dom... read more

Best Value Non-Vintage Champagne

Champagne can be a very tricky purchase because the most recognizable brands are out of reach for most consumers. Buying a quality champagne on a budget is even more complicated by the masses of growers and la... read more

Best Red Wine 1959

You can’t get much luckier than to have been born, married, divorced, released from jail, graduated or celebrating any noteworthy occasion in 1959. This was a legendary vintage for most of the world with Bordeaux, ... read more

Best Value Wine for a Romantic Dinner Date

This list by definition is an impossibility, since everyone has different tastes. Consider this a guide to how to make a choice that works best for you, rather than an absolute rule. Dom Perignon is great, bu... read more

Best Red Wine 1969

1969 is a vintage that is more endearing intellectually than it is gastronomically. Whether for the obvious connotation or the quality that was once present, finding wines from ‘69 can be very tricky as many have l... read more

Best Red Wine 1979

1979 was a somewhat difficult vintage for most of the world, but there are a few wines worth drinking. While it wasn’t a terrible year, most of the top estates produced wines that toe the line at mediocrity. The go... read more

Best Red Wine 1999

1999 was a solid vintage for most of the world, though not exceptional in many wine-growing regions. In fact, outside of Red Burgundy, the vintage was just average. That said, top performers in Bordeaux and California ar... read more

Best Red Wine 1949

As with any wine this old, we must begin with a disclaimer that at age 60 there are no great wines – only great bottles. I’ve been very fortunate to taste all the below from reliable, long-standing cellars, b... read more

Best Red Wine 1989

1989 is all about France, with an emphasis on the Rhone and Bordeaux. On a scale of 1-10, 1989 is a solid 8.5, meaning the best wines of the vintage are truly spectacular but even the “average” wines are very... read more