In the June 30, 2009 Issue

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California Zinfandel

Cover Story

Zinfandel for Summer Tables - Warm weather and cooking on the grill go hand in hand, and California Zinfandel is one of the best wines with which to wash down savory summer meals. Sonoma chef Josh Silvers prepares a mouthwatering menu that highlights Zinfandel's diverse styles, pairing rosé, red and dessert versions of the varietal with a three-course feast

Features

Tasting Reports

California Zinfandel - The latest in a string of excellent vintages, 2007 delivers high quality at affordable prices, in styles ranging from refined to robust

FREE: California Zinfandel Alphabetical Listing

ABCs of Zinfandel - The lore and lure, characteristics and quirks of this unique variety

Zinfandel Q&A: - Orin Swift winemaker Dave Phinney talks shop

WineSpectator.com: Find more delicious recipes that pair well with Zinfandel, or use our Recipe Search to look up recommended matches by food type or wine type.

2008 Bordeaux Barrels - A first look at the red, white and dessert wines from the new vintage reveals very good quality, with pricing in the balance

WineSpectator.com: For more coverage, WineSpectator.com members can read James Suckling's 2008 Bordeaux blogs and print lists of all rated wines broken out by category.

Travel

Stars of Siena - Local wines, traditional cuisine and artistic treasures await visitors to this historic city in the heart of Tuscany

WineSpectator.com: Get information on hotels, restaurants and wineries in major wine regions around the world with WineSpectator.com's Dining & Travel section.

People

Taittinger Reclaimed - Inspired by his grandfather, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger leads the venerable Champagne house into the 21st century

Grapevine

Business

Business - Restaurants battle recessionary woes, with Las Vegas at the epicenter

WineSpectator.com: Find more great dining destinations in our Restaurant Search, which features more than 4,000 restaurants with Wine Spectator award-winning wine lists. Members can add their own ratings and reviews.

World

Australian grape identity crisis

French winemakers protest

Newsmakers

Savvy Shopper

Dining Out

Dining Out - Los Angeles' XIV and Bazaar

Cheese

Cheese - Raw milk cheeses

WineSpectator.com: BONUS VIDEO: Learn how to match cheeses to red wines and sweet white wines with editor at large Harvey Steiman.

Coffee

Coffee - Jamaican Blue Mountain

Wine Auctions

1995 Bordeaux first-growths

Sokolin Co. to hold debut auction

Ask the Experts

Departments

This Issue/Marvin R. Shanken

Summertime Is for Zinfandel

WineSpectator.com: 2009 VIDEO CONTEST Submit your wine videos to Wine Spectator's third annual video contest and you could win great prizes. The deadline is Aug. 31, 2009. For complete rules and to see previous years' finalists.

Letters

Columns

James Laube - Be careful what you wish for

WineSpectator.com: In recent blog posts, James Laube explains our retaste days, asks you to share your first memorable wine moments, and pays tribute to the accomplishments of Napa vintner Jim Richards of Paloma.

Just Drink It - Bringing wine enjoyment down to earth

James Suckling - Pomerol and St.-Emilion make 1998 a star

FREE: 1998 and 1988 Bordeaux Retrospective Alphabetical Listing

WineSpectator.com: WineSpectator.com members can also view full tasting notes for each wine and save them to their Personal Wine List.

Wine Talk

Wine Talk - Comedian Lewis Black

The Buying Guide

The Buying Guide for this issue is available here.

2009 VIDEO CONTEST Creative with a video camera? Submit your wine videos to Wine Spectator's third annual video contest and you could win great prizes. We are looking for short, original videos that are educational and entertaining. Our editors will select the best entries, and the finalists will be posted on WineSpectator.com, where viewers will vote to choose the winner. The deadline for entering is Aug. 31, 2009. For complete rules and to see previous years' finalists.

BURGER BASICS For your July 4 holiday, we give you a great burger recipe, along with tips on how to choose the meat and cook it for the best results. Plus, fun wines for picnic-table fare.

NEW ON WINE SPECTATOR VIDEO Tune in each week for a new video.

South African Value: Great prices, high quality and diverse styles make the country's Chenin Blanc a favorite of James Molesworth.
Green Grapegrowing: Hear from four top European producers who believe that biodynamic farming has improved their vineyards and their wines.

CALIFORNIA TASTING HIGHLIGHTS James Laube and our other California editors post top wines from their weekly tastings. Check often for scores and notes for hot new Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and more.

WINE SPECTATOR MOBILE Need wine buying information on the go? Try our mobile site for smartphones, at mobile.winespectator.com. Search more than 212,000 wine ratings, consult our vintage charts and update your shopping lists and cellar inventory with our Personal Wine List tool.