Previous issue: Dec. 31, 2006

Cover Story

The Ultimate Buying Guide  Wine Spectator's second annual Ultimate Buying Guide includes all of the ratings from 2006. Plus, our senior editors lend their insight into what's hot, what's not, which new wines to look for and which overlooked gems might still be available.

• Wine Spectator Online  Bonus Videos: Get more insight into each region's highlighted wines with our Editors' Tastings video archives. In 2006, Wine Spectator senior editors showcased everything from great red and white Burgundies to Languedoc values to Oregon Pinot Noir to top Southern Rhône reds. Plus, James Suckling provided a special report on 2005 Bordeaux from barrel.

Regional Summaries  A comprehensive review of the leading wine regions of the world

• California: 1,689 wines  Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and more

• France: 3,500 wines  Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Loire, Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc and Roussillon, and more

• Italy: 3,129 wines  Tuscany, Piedmont and more

• Around the World: 5,161 wines  Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Oregon, Washington and more

• Top Scores  A look at which labels scored highest in each winemaking region

• Compendium  A listing of all the wines reviewed by Wine Spectator in 2006, categorized by region or varietal and arranged in alphabetical order by producer

Bonus

Pull-Out Vintage Card  Exclusive ratings of current and older vintages for top appellations and varietals from throughout the world

Departments

This Issue  Marvin R. Shanken

Upfront  The number of counterfeit wines is on the rise; vintage report cards; study shows moderate drinkers use Medicare less; GrapeVine

• Wine Spectator Online  Keep up with breaking news and the people, places and happenings that wine entusiasts are talking about.

• More detailed 2006 vintage reports from each region, plus 2006 harvest videos

Dining Out  Napa Valley  Harvey Steiman

• Wine Spectator Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter, Sips & Tips, provides advice on wine, dining and travel. Click here to see a sample and sign up.

Tastes  Tagines, cocktails, New Year's coffee resolutions, London hot spot, great expectorations and old school

• Wine Spectator Online  Get a recipe for fruits de mer tagine.

Columns

James Laube  Flying high

• Wine Spectator Online  In his recent blog posts, James Laube has highlighted a new Cabernet gem, wineries to watch in Napa and Santa Barbara, and a discovery in Paso Robles.

Matt Kramer  The great wine divide

James Molesworth  Rhône recommendations

Collecting  Auction market remains strong at end of 2006; cellar architect Evan Goldenberg; Carnivale du Vin raises more than $2.5 million for children of New Orleans

• Wine Spectator Online  Subscribers to Wine Spectator Online can search the complete auction database for prices on collectibles, read analysis of the latest auction results and view a calendar of upcoming sales.

Wine Talk  News correspondent Jim Angle  Laurie Woolever

The Buying Guide

For complete reviews of more than 165,000 wines, use Wine Spectator Online's Wine Ratings Search, where you can sort by region, variety, vintage, price, score and tasting date.

2006 VINTAGE REPORT CARD  With the newest wines now aging in winery cellars, Wine Spectator's editors provide an early look at potential quality in key regions across the Northern Hemisphere and give each of them a preliminary grade. Plus, watch our bonus video recap of the 2006 California harvest. VALENTINE'S DAY  Wow that special someone with the perfect meal, a seductive wine or a hedonistic dessert. We'll help you romance your date with our great recipes; plus, get tips on the best wines and chocolates. TASTING HIGHLIGHTS  Get a jump on exciting new releases with selected notes from our editors' latest tastings. Recent highlights have included high-scoring, limited-production California Syrahs and Pinot Noirs, 2005 German Rieslings and 2004 Châteauneuf-du-Papes. VALUE-WINE LISTS  Browse our exclusive lists of the world's top wine values and top value producers. We've added new lists such as Italian whites, New Zealand whites, Rhône reds and Spanish reds. We're also taking your suggestions for future lists.

WINE OF THE WEEK  Sign up for our Sips & Tips e-mail newsletter to receive a wine recommendation and advice on food, travel and wine every week. VIDEOS  We now have more than 100 videos! Learn more about your favorite region by watching winemaker interviews and tasting reports from Wine Spectator's senior editors. View our special reports on California Cabernet and the 2006 harvest. Take a tour of restaurants with great wine programs. Catch the seminars at our California Wine Experience. Or learn all about winemaking in our Hard Labor series. You can also subscribe to Wine Spectator's weekly video Podcast on iTunes. QUESTIONS ABOUT WINE?  Dr. Vinny, our Web site's resident expert, tackles all your questions, from what a tasting descriptor really means to the best way to send back a corky bottle.