In the March 31, 2005 Issue

The Great Cork Debate

A Brave New World of Cheddar - Americans are finally making cheddars that stand up to the British benchmark

Inside Wine: Water Hazards - Irrigating vines is a necessity for some, but a crime for others

Challengers and Incumbents in the Capital - New Washington restaurants represent a sophisticated constituency

Coming Home - Ed Sbragia's new wines are a tribute to his father

2003 Northern Rhônes - Top estates produced dense, exotic wines in this hot vintage, but watch out for inconsistency

The New Man At Mouton-Rothschild - Winemaker Phillipe Dhalluin plans to shake things up at the first-growth

A Challenge for Bordeaux - In 2002, the top vintners triumphed over a difficult growing season

The Genie in the Bottle - The virtues of cork go beyond mere science

Cork's Time Has Passed - Twist-offs are a viable alternative to a marginal closure

The Science of Closures - Evaluating corks, twist-offs and other ways of preserving the quality of bottled wine

Sake Enters Western Wine Lists - Non-Asian restaurants are discovering a new trend for food

Japanese Restaurants Break Away - Western and Japanese ingredients and wines are now shared in a fusion cuisine

A New Australian Colossus? - Foster's attempts a $2.3 billion takeover of rival Southcorp

Naples Takes Over Top Spot in 2004 - Charity wine auctions are stronger than ever

The Buying Guide for this issue is available here.

The Wine of the Year has been unveiled! See details on the 10 most exciting wines of the year, plus the full Top 100 PDF.

WineSpectator.com members: Get the full Top 100 with tasting notes. Plus, add the wines to your PWL.

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