We took some time to review our favorite sources for the best wine writing, tools, tasting notes and more.
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1) winespectator.com
What makes this site great:
- Very comprehensive site – contain great info for both the casual wino and the serious collector.
- Expert tips for those interested in wine travel and tourism – regions to visit, wineries to check out, places to stay and eat.
- Up-to-date industry news for everyone involved in the wine and spirits trade (retailers, restaurants, wine-makers, etc).
- Offers courses and schooling for site members (pricing starts at $7.95/mo).
- You can test your wine knowledge with the addictive “Name That Wine” game.
2) nataliemaclean.com
What makes this site great:
- Natalie MacLean ensures excellent wine-related content is updated daily.
- Natalie is actively engaged with her readers and she herself is very accessible.
- Offers great food/wine pairing information via the Wine & Food Matcher application which is available as web widget and/or ipad / ipod app.
- Great newsletter, sign up!
- Stay on top of LCBO vintages releases.
3) snooth.com
What makes this site great:
- Connects wine lovers to wineries, merchants, fellow wine lovers, and wine professionals.
- Provides wine pairings for your favourite recipe sites like epicurious.com (I LOVE epicurious!) and myrecipes.com.
- Offers a great list of wine varietal profiles for quick learning and recommendations on each to take that learning from your mind to your mouth.
- Virtual. Wine. Tastings. Need we say more? (next one, Frei Brothers Reserve on April 20th)
- Overall just a really nice site to experience – nice design, easy to navigate, good use of social media technologies and understanding of how they’re used.
4) finewinemag.com
(led by Hugh Johnson)
What makes this site great:
- Web site supports the quarterly wine journal, “The World of Fine Wine” which bills itself as the first cultural journal of the wine world, i.e. more intellect, less taste bud.
- Offers an online index for back issues with opportunity to buy back issues.
- Access sample features, e.g. ” A Smuggler’s Tale: Clones, Cops and Cabernet : Jonathan Swinchatt tells a gripping story of chicanery”.
- Very simple site, really focused on quality content as opposed to quantity.
- Hugh Johnson is widely admired in the world of wine; his “World Atlas of Wine” is in its sixth edition.
5) jancisrobinson.com
(most areas require a subscription)
What makes this site great:
- Jancis Robinson has been writing about wine since 1975. Enough said.
- She has an extremely active and engaged audience.
- For site subscribers, fun section, “Don’t Quote Me” is not to be missed.
- Free and easy access to Nick Lander, regular writer about food and restaurants for the Financial Times (and Jancis’ hubby).
- Offers a great directory of wine resources, definitely *not* the usual suspects.
