Your Favorite (Unpaid) Wine Critic

[Rebel Rose]

Among my favorites are award-winning wine bloggers like Alder Yarrow at Vinography and Craig Camp at Wine Camp. But I would have to also include as one of my all time favorites our own Jim Cowen (aka Florida Jim). His recent post on de Villaine's wines is the kind of wine writing that I take very seriously. I trust Jim's reviews. I also like the way he takes price into consideration as an important factor in wine enjoyment, and provides thoughtful commentary on the price to quality ratio.

Of course, the wines we produce at Dover Canyon would blow Jim's socks off with alcohols well over 12.5% but I also enjoy more delicate alcohol levels and I use Jim's reviews as a good source for wines packed with flavor, not punch.

In fact, I find myself gravitating more and more to independent, unpaid reviewers for interesting material and refreshing tasting notes.

Another favorite 'wine critic' of mine is Romeo ('Meo) Zuech of tiny Piedra Creek Winery. He doesn't publish online, but he walks into the winery occasionally, a graceful Italian grandfather leaning on a cane, to study our wines and he brings some others as well. Meo will say cryptic things like, "This is an honest wine!" or "This wine is trying to tell me a story. I can hear the beginning, and the end, but not the middle." It would be funny if it weren't for the fact that he's always right.

Who is your favorite wine-critic-on-the-street, wine mentor, go-to wine person?

[Florida Jim]

Mary,

Thank-you.

My favorite wine critic these days is my wife. She is not "into" it, knows not a Lafite from a Lapierre and prefers to drink and not talk about it. Thus, she comments on a wine very, very seldom. She also has no faith in her palate but she should as she is both discerning as to a wine's "parts" and also appreciates its overall performance.

So, what I get is someone whose palate is very intuitive while still being experienced but someone who doesn't speak about wine often (which in itself is significant).

When she does, I'm listening.

Best, Jim

[Malkavian]

I find myself enjoying wine discussions on non-wine related forums. My favorite reviewer in fact is a guy named Doug, prominent poster at my favorite cigar haunt (is it appropriate to provide a link here?), where he's mostly regarded as a scotch whisky expert.

Besides finding that we enjoy drinking along the same lines, I like his language, and the fact that there are a number of "regular guys" like me who can talk about whatever dram is in the spotlight at the moment, often in context of cigar pairings

Edited June 15, 2007 by Malkavian (log)

[Rebel Rose]

My favorite reviewer in fact is a guy named Doug, prominent poster at my favorite cigar haunt (is it appropriate to provide a link here?), where he's mostly regarded as a scotch whisky expert. 

Sure, that's fine! We're pretty democratic about that here.

[Don Giovanni]

FL Jim # 1 then

then

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