Previous issue: Oct. 15, 2007

 

Cover Story

250 Great Values Your goal: to discover new flavors at affordable prices. Our focus: a list of recently tasted, high-scoring and widely available wines from 15 different wine regions

• WineSpectator.com  Find more values and check out our lists of wines that combine low prices and high scores. Or visit our online database of more than 179,000 wine ratings and search for values based on whatever price limits and scores you select.

Listings by Region

Outstanding Values at a Glance

Features

Tasting Reports

Excitement From Tuscany Three outstanding vintages on the horizon promise a bright future for Italy’s most popular wine region

• WineSpectator.com BONUS VIDEOS:  Get acquainted with Italy's most famous wine region and meet with some of its top producers.

• WineSpectator.com  An alphabetical chart of all wines tasted for this report is available.

Travel

Mediterranean Beauty   Italy’s Positano region is no longer hidden, but it is still a gem for those who appreciate fresh seafood and an amazing view

• WineSpectator.com  For information on more great wine-country destinations around the world, visit our online Dining & Travel section and use the Hotel, Winery and Restaurant Search tools.

Wine

Caring for Chianti   Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti have grown a family and great wine on a hilltop in Tuscany

Santa Cruz Mountains Trailblazers   Just over the hill from Silicon Valley, vintners go their own way, but strive for quality

People

Have Goats, Will Roam   Charles Back, founder of Goats do Roam and other popular South African labels, considers the future of his country’s winemaking industry

Departments

This Issue Marvin R. Shanken

Upfront

  

California’s 2007 harvest looks like a winner; crackdown on illegal vineyard workers in California may result in higher wine prices; Illinois direct-shipping bill passes to cheers—and jeers; U.S. government puts hold on approving new appellations; vineyards planted on California's Catalina Island; red wine may help protect the brain, study finds; GrapeVine; vote in Wine Spectator's video contest

• WineSpectator.com  Keep up with breaking news as well as the people, places and happenings that wine lovers are talking about.

Tastes

  

Delicious new stuffings; vinegars; Italian chocolate; New York hot spot: The Monday Room

• WineSpectator.com  Find a recipe for chestnut and chicken-apple sausage stuffing; our online Recipe Search lets you find hundreds of dishes by food type, matching wine or ingredient.

Columns

James Laube   Cellar strategies

• WineSpectator.com  In his recent blog posts, James Laube catches up with Napa Cabernet consultant Philippe Melka, asks if you should sell old wines and introduces a winery at the edge of the ocean.

Matt Kramer   The truth about screw caps

James Suckling   A taste of Italy

Collecting

  

A well-filled cellar in the Hamptons; Sun Valley Auction sets a new record; Central Coast Wine Classic; great wines in Nashville

• WineSpectator.com  Site subscribers can search the site's auction database, which tracks performance for more than 15,600 ageable wines. Also available are analyses of recent auction results and a calendar of upcoming sales.

Wine Talk   Director Des McAnuff

The Buying Guide

View a list of all tasting notes from this issue. Or for more than 190,000 tasting notes, use WineSpectator.com's Wine Ratings Search, where you can sort by region, variety, vintage, price, score and tasting date.

VIDEO CONTEST: VOTE NOW!  Help choose the winner of Wine Spectator's first annual wine video contest. Our editors have narrowed down the best entries to five finalists. We'll unveil one each day, from Sept. 24-28, for you to rate. The winner will receive tickets to the Wine Experience. VIDEOS  Wine Spectator Online now features more than 150 videos! Watch the latest clips: Take a tour of Tuscany, taste along with James Suckling and meet some of this famous Italian region's top producers. Everyone loves a great value; Kim Marcus introduces you to three from southwest France. NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE  Can't join us for this year's great lineup of tastings and seminars? Our full event coverage will bring the world's best winemakers and chefs to you with photos, videos and articles. HALLOWEEN  Celebrate the holiday the adult way—with sweet wines and sophisticated desserts. HARVEST REPORTS  Get the latest regional news reports and hear about the 2007 crop straight from West Coast winemakers as the grapes come in.

VALUE-WINE FINDER  Browse our exclusive lists of the world's top wine values and top value producers. We've added new categories —rosés, Spanish whites and California Syrahs for $30 or less —and are taking your suggestions for more. NEW WINERY SEARCH:  Traveling to wine country? Get details on thousands of wineries worldwide. Our newly revamped database includes reviews, photos, tasting room hours and fees, tasting notes, maps with driving directions and more. Plus, find nearby hotels and restaurants.