This is subjective of course...

Question:
What magazine do you think is most accurate in their ratings?

Choices:
Decanter
Food & Wine
The Wine Advocate
Wine & Spirits
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Spectator

 

Playboy

quote:

Originally posted by GlennK:
Playboy

no way, penthouse is clearly superior.

So you expected an honest opinion on this site?

Wonder what the survey would say on ebob???

What, the wine enthusiast does not have any votes yet?

I voted for The Wine Spectator and not because they provide this site. Their use of specialists reviewing specific wine regions seems far superior to Parker (now Parker et al) trying his (now their) hand at everything. The Wine Enthusiast is a joke. I subtract 3-5 points off most of their scores.

I read Food and Wine, but not for their wine content.

Wine and Spirits? Never read it.

Decanter is in second place for me.

quote:

Originally posted by flwino:
So you expected an honest opinion on this site?

Wonder what the survey would say on ebob???

It would look like this:

POLL: Most Accurate Wine Magazine?
* Wine Advocate
[This post has been edited by Mark Squires]

Let's just be honest. Wine Spectator is the best and the rest are well....the rest. It's not even close if you take every region in the world and judge these magazines by the total result.

They just have better people and so much coverage which just leads to better reviews IMO. Of course some here disagree with Laube or this one or that one on a region or grape, but when looking at the whole operations of these other entities - they are kiddie mags compared to WS.

quote:

The Wine Enthusiast is a joke. I subtract 3-5 points off most of their scores.

Agree totally. The ratings are all over the road.

Wine Enthusiast is such a dinky cheap outfit. And that applies to everything they do and produce.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by flwino:
So you expected an honest opinion on this site?

Wonder what the survey would say on ebob???


It would look like this:

POLL: Most Accurate Wine Magazine?
* Wine Advocate
[This post has been edited by Mark Squires]

Now that is good

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by flwino:
So you expected an honest opinion on this site?

Wonder what the survey would say on ebob???


It would look like this:

POLL: Most Accurate Wine Magazine?
* Wine Advocate
[This post has been edited by Mark Squires]

Funny! and True!

I agree with Hunter, with the depth of coverage from the WS being the main selling point. Although I hold judgment on Decanter as I don’t have much history with that publication.

What the heck does "accurate" mean? If I agree with them, they are accurate, and if I don't, they aren't?

Tanzer is the most accurate for my tastes. Magazine.....WS for new world and WA for old world

Superfluous poll.
They are all equally accurate “in their ratings.”

It is up to the readers to determine which is most consistent with their palate.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter:
Wine Enthusiast is such a dinky cheap outfit. And that applies to everything they do and produce.

Hunter-
WE sells good, inexpensive, throw away type, bottle tags. Give em' some credit.

The rest? Well... you're right.

BTW: 2 people have voted for WE!?
So....Now we have have 2 empty suits on the boards?

I agree with Boar-O: WS is best by far, overall. Suckling and Molesworth are right on! Decantor: Second, as I, too, can't link into their palate. The Italian Greats edition left me wondering just where they were coming from???

From the given options, I would say Decanter.

But International Wine Cellar and Gambero Rosso for me are also great.

WA is very good for France, Italy, and the wines of Central and Eastern Europe. The problem is that they also review Australia and Spain.

WS for me.

And what's the deal with Wine Enthusiest anyway? I get it for free and don't even want it anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
BTW: 2 people have voted for WE!?

Lorrie and .......?

PH

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
BTW: 2 people have voted for WE!?

Lorrie and .......?

PH

mwg

quote:

Originally posted by wineismylife:

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
BTW: 2 people have voted for WE!?

Lorrie and .......?

PH

mwg

Damn, pretty harsh.

I only have significant experience with WE and WS, so can't comment on the others, but I agree with opinions here so far (except Lorrie and mwg's votes).

WE is pretty much a joke, but WS seems to do a good job of keeping their integrity when reporting sensitive issues like the great 2008 Brunello embargo. They could easily bury their heads. And, their blind review tastings are the gold standard.

quote:

Originally posted by wineismylife:

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
BTW: 2 people have voted for WE!?

Lorrie and .......?

PH

mwg

or should I say



PH

quote:

Superfluous poll.
They are all equally accurate “in their ratings.”

It is up to the readers to determine which is most consistent with their palate.

"Accurate" is not the word I would use either. I'm answering this as if I walk into a wine store and see a white wine from Chile or something else I know nothing about. I am strictly going off of the scores, which I never do with regions or wines I am familiar with. Still, next to the bottle I see:

Wine and Spirits 87
Wine Spectator 91
Wine Enthusiast 98

This is a very general example, but if it's a wine or region I know nothing about and I'm in a spot - WS is who I will "trust" to be at least in-line or within range of what I may think of it. Again - generally...

quote:

Originally posted by GreenDrazi:
Superfluous poll.
They are all equally accurate “in their ratings.”

It is up to the readers to determine which is most consistent with their palate.

"do you think" is the key to the question.


____

I voted for WS, but I believe that there is some good content in WE. I find that both publications can overrate and underrate certain wines, depending on region.

Admittedly, my experience is limited. However, I have listed some examples of wines that I have purchased in the past 6 months and the ratings. Many are relatively close, some are equal, and others are quite different.

2004 Mondavi PR Cab: WS 95 WE 92
2004 Tignanello: WS 95 WE 95
2004 Caymus: WS 92 WE 95
2004 Shafer 1.5: WS 93 WE 93
2005 Beringer PR Chard: WS 92 WE 87
2005 Chateau Palmer WS 95 WE 95
2003 Elderton Command WS 94 WE 93
2004 Casa LaPostolle Clos Apalta WS 93 WE 91
2003 CSJ Cinq WS 86 WE 94
2004 Shafer Merlot WS 92 WE 87
1996 Dom Perignon WS 93 WE 96
2002 Chateau Montelena Estate Cab WS 72 WE 93
2006 Elk Cove Pinot Gris WS 87 WE 91
2004 Torre Muga WS 95 WE 91
2002 Flora Springs Trilogy WS 92 WE 91
2005 Longoria Fe Ciega Vineyard PN WS 87 WE 95
2005 Rosenblum Richard Sauret Zin WS 86 WE 83
2007 Drylands Marlborough SB WS 88 WE 91
2004 Etude Cab WS 92 WE 93

I realize that this is a very small sampling, but just some examples from my own cellar.

One complaint that I have: WE seems a bit slow to publish ratings from Europe, Cali/Washington reds, and Chile.