Artisinal wines

[MartyL]

First, thanks for joining us on this Q&A.

Much of the wine-writing I've seen in print in the U.S. tends to focus on large-production wines that are widely distributed. This is understandable given the desire of editors to appeal to a wide audience.

However, I also find that very often the wines that are the most fun to discover are small-production wines made by artisinal producers, that are sometimes hard to find and therefore rarely written about anywhere other than in the odd corners of cyberspace where winegeeks hang out.

What are some of your favorite small-production wines and which shops in the U.S. do you think are the best places to find them?

[Andreawine]

Recommending shops in the US for artisanal wines might create frustration, because of shipping limitations.

Let me say that the publications of Rober Parker and Steve Tanzer should be your guides to the hidden jewels - they ferret them out with conviction and genius. So subscribe, then take the list to the best wine shop in town and ask them to help you. Remember, the real jewels aren't the 90+ wines - they are the 80s cheapies that you can actually buy.