Besides learning the wine lingo and learning how to taste wine, it is not uncommon for many new wine drinkers to ask where to find good wine recommendations. As vast as the wine industry is, there is a good answer for that. There are many blogs as well as fun and interesting comments on wine on the internet. Some of the advice you receive online is sometimes inconsistent so one of my recommendations is to check out reputable wine publications. There are some major magazines and online sites that have accurate descriptions and even a rating system.
Wine spectator was founded first as a tabloid newspaper in 1976. Created by Bob Morrisey, it was later sold to the current publisher Marvin R. Shanken. It was around 1981 when they created the Restaurant Award Program that reviewed restaurants and rated them in three categories. It publishes 15 issues per year and includes articles, tasting notes, and wine ratings.
The Wine Advocate was created by Robert M. Parker Jr. and publishes bimonthly. The first issue was published in 1978 and was originally called The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate. Robert Parker introduced a Point quality scale which had a major impact on the wine industry. Robert M. Parker originally studied law until 1984 when his publication made enough money for him to quit. He gained international popularity when he predicted that a 1982 Bordeaux wine was highly rated.
Wine Enthusiast is another great publication created in 1988 by Adam and Sybil Strum. Reaching 680,000 readers with great wine and spirit reviews as well as additional wine lifestyle content, Wine Enthusiast also has a website with great wine information.
These are some of the major players in rating and recommending wine. All the publications not only give you great recommendations but also have articles describing tastes and characteristics of grape varietals. Check them out online or pick up the magazine from your local newsstand and enjoy.
Further Reading: What Wines are Good to Use for Cooking?
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