Why 13? Because 100 is too damn many.     Because 13 is more satisfying than 10 or 12. Because we believe, like the Chinese do, the number 13 is a fortuitous one. The number 13 forces us to be very picky and very disciplined in putting our annual list together. Our list could easily be 50, but these are the ones you... Read more →

There are those who say that the wine scene in Paso Robles, California, is what Napa Valley was 35 years ago. Such comparisons are moot—Paso is its own place, with a unique vibe and culture—and this winemaking region of central California stands on its own and treads its own path, defying comparisons to anywhere else in... Read more →

Merry Edwards is an avid gardener, and the parallels one can draw between tending a garden and growing a vineyard are not hard to see when it comes to one of the first woman pioneers in American wine.   The evidence is in the wine. For over 40 years, Merry Edwards’ Pinot Noirs have been recognized as some of the greatest of... Read more →

Sitting around talking about N.W.A., Sam Cooke, gospel music and jazz—not to mention the occasional scene-stealing appearances of their dog Bella—that’s what you get when in the company of the Kenwards in their Napa Valley home. We are drinking some of America’s finest wines, those of Tor Kenward, and it dawns on us . . . is it crazy... Read more →

The Loire rocks. The white wines they make in this part of France are unlike anywhere else in the world. Once you get used to the names, and they’re not easy—Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Vouvray, Anjou, Muscadet, Montlouis-sur-Loire and Savennières, to name a few—the rewards are great. There is nowhere else in the world where you can find... Read more →