I need help with wine magazines!
I need help with wine magazines!
Hi guys! My post disappeared - is that normal? I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me find a good wine mag? Ive read a few dodgey ones and then ive read a couple of the really mainstream one like gourmet traveller and wine (which i liked) and wine state. Does anyone know any other wine mags that are worth the read? preferably something with a bit of wine related food and travel subjects too. If you guys can recommend something that woulddddd be really really appreciated! Im starting to get impatient buying magazine after magazine n not finding the best.
"The best" is pretty specific to you individual requirements and may be totally different to the assessment of another person. Personally I don't buy any of the wine magazines on a regular basis, the online forums and sites like Wine Front provide much of what I need.
Last edited by Red Bigot on Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
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Waiters Friend
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mmmwine ... are you related to lordson?? Seriously it's nice to see new people and this forum does seem to be regenerating itself. 
fwiw I think you are destined to be disappointed by printed Wine Mags in general.
For what you have described I find Gourmet Wine Traveller the best mag as - despite the wine porn - there is lots of good writing from Halliday, Campbell, Huon, JO, reviews section is quite decent and it does cover the areas well in terms of travelling.
Winestate I used to buy from time to time, always to regret it in the last 5+ years.
Decanter, the main (only?) UK magazine is on the up these days and a good read for French and Old World wines although the tastings are panel tastings and therefore hard to align to the tasters. I remember they gave the Lafite 2005 *** blind: Steven Spurrier (MW) thought it was a much lower priced wine ... but they had the guts to publish his comments and go with that which - for me - wins them great kudos for calling it as they saw it in a blind tasting.
Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate the US magazines are not terribly useful for aussie reviews - for me - but worth a look for Bordeaux.
For Australian wines I'd read a couple of forums and subscribe to Winefront really plus Jeremy Oliver. TORBWINE's tour diaries are excellent, well written and real life adventures.
If you are serious there is only one magazine World of Fine Wine but it's very very expensive ($40+ an issue) although maybe cheap if you are buying first growth claret and top burgundies which I ain't.
What did I miss?
fwiw I think you are destined to be disappointed by printed Wine Mags in general.
For what you have described I find Gourmet Wine Traveller the best mag as - despite the wine porn - there is lots of good writing from Halliday, Campbell, Huon, JO, reviews section is quite decent and it does cover the areas well in terms of travelling.
Winestate I used to buy from time to time, always to regret it in the last 5+ years.
Decanter, the main (only?) UK magazine is on the up these days and a good read for French and Old World wines although the tastings are panel tastings and therefore hard to align to the tasters. I remember they gave the Lafite 2005 *** blind: Steven Spurrier (MW) thought it was a much lower priced wine ... but they had the guts to publish his comments and go with that which - for me - wins them great kudos for calling it as they saw it in a blind tasting.
Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate the US magazines are not terribly useful for aussie reviews - for me - but worth a look for Bordeaux.
For Australian wines I'd read a couple of forums and subscribe to Winefront really plus Jeremy Oliver. TORBWINE's tour diaries are excellent, well written and real life adventures.
If you are serious there is only one magazine World of Fine Wine but it's very very expensive ($40+ an issue) although maybe cheap if you are buying first growth claret and top burgundies which I ain't.
What did I miss?
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
Great thread, enjoyed it immensely to the point I had to contribute 
mmmwine, I can’t add any more to what’s already been mentioned re the range of magazines, however, if it’s wine you’re interested in, as an introduction consider getting a copy of a wine guide such as those put out by Jeremy Oliver, The Big Red Wine Book by Campbell Mattinson, or James Hallidays Wine Companion – I may have some of the titles slightly wrong here? For wine only, they will provide excellent reference material and steer you towards your price/quality threshold. Likewise, join up to something like Winefront – loads of new wine info there on a daily basis.
I would also suggest to you that without exception, the individuals you will be exposed to on this sort of forum are amongst the most genuine, helpful and generous in terms of advice, assistance and the sharing of their wine treasures, so be patient. Brian and Gavin no doubt have a tough gig sorting all the spam so it’s understandable if they err at times, hell, who doesn’t. Likewise, there’s an old saying there is no such thing as a dumb question, only a dumb answer so keep asking, judging by the posts, you’re obviously no fool, just perhaps a tad impatient
mmmwine, I can’t add any more to what’s already been mentioned re the range of magazines, however, if it’s wine you’re interested in, as an introduction consider getting a copy of a wine guide such as those put out by Jeremy Oliver, The Big Red Wine Book by Campbell Mattinson, or James Hallidays Wine Companion – I may have some of the titles slightly wrong here? For wine only, they will provide excellent reference material and steer you towards your price/quality threshold. Likewise, join up to something like Winefront – loads of new wine info there on a daily basis.
I would also suggest to you that without exception, the individuals you will be exposed to on this sort of forum are amongst the most genuine, helpful and generous in terms of advice, assistance and the sharing of their wine treasures, so be patient. Brian and Gavin no doubt have a tough gig sorting all the spam so it’s understandable if they err at times, hell, who doesn’t. Likewise, there’s an old saying there is no such thing as a dumb question, only a dumb answer so keep asking, judging by the posts, you’re obviously no fool, just perhaps a tad impatient
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Daryl Douglas
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I'd recommend subscribing to both The Wine Front and James Halliday's Wine Companion(online). I use the latter site heaps, just about daily as a reference, and visit the former daily, unless I'm out or away from home.
There are quite a few online resources including a couple of other fora as well as the above so I just don't bother with expensive hardcopy magazines nor even Halliday's hardcopy version the The Companion. Some of the individuals who post on the fora have their own websites as well and some of them have links in their posts.
Unless you want hardcopy mags to display on your coffee table for visitors to ogle, I wouldn't bother with'em if I were you - but I'm not.
Cheers
daz
There are quite a few online resources including a couple of other fora as well as the above so I just don't bother with expensive hardcopy magazines nor even Halliday's hardcopy version the The Companion. Some of the individuals who post on the fora have their own websites as well and some of them have links in their posts.
Unless you want hardcopy mags to display on your coffee table for visitors to ogle, I wouldn't bother with'em if I were you - but I'm not.
Cheers
daz
the quality of wine journalism is dictated by the quality of the consumer and unfortunately the quality of this journalism is dictated , or seems to be dictated by the profit margin the magazine is able to achieve.. ala winestate and the illustration costing extra... not for the benefit of the consumer .... or the fact that gourmet is part of a stable so massive that it is under a threat every issue so is pitshed at an lcd consumer
when was the last time that you read anything about the impact of clone choice on flavour?? or for that matter anything that the winemaker may do that will impact on the palate other than the discussion yonks ago about oak.
sniffsip"n'swirl that one
when was the last time that you read anything about the impact of clone choice on flavour?? or for that matter anything that the winemaker may do that will impact on the palate other than the discussion yonks ago about oak.
sniffsip"n'swirl that one
Decanter, which while I still think is aimed at people who can afford Bordeaux 1st growths, is a great magazine. Costly in Aus I think but worth buying from time to time
Winestate - I wanted to like this magazine, really I tried hard to, but it's not much kop. I also think that they're in league with the Wine Society, and thus loses points for that.
Gourmet Wine Traveller- hmm, not sure about this one these days. Started out like a girl you go out with after a one night stand- you're trying to remember how great it was to start with and trying to ignore the faults. To me, there's too much emphasis on promotion. Australia has a rich, varied and exciting wine industry, so why when I read the GMT do I feel I'm picking up a travel agents brochure?
Winestate - I wanted to like this magazine, really I tried hard to, but it's not much kop. I also think that they're in league with the Wine Society, and thus loses points for that.
Gourmet Wine Traveller- hmm, not sure about this one these days. Started out like a girl you go out with after a one night stand- you're trying to remember how great it was to start with and trying to ignore the faults. To me, there's too much emphasis on promotion. Australia has a rich, varied and exciting wine industry, so why when I read the GMT do I feel I'm picking up a travel agents brochure?
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
With this thread in mind, I bought a copy of the last edition at Brizvegas airport to look at while winging my way home yesterday afternoon. It's ok but nowhere near as informative as the online resources I use, including this forum - it has a fair bit about NZ and other OS wines that are either hard to find or are high-end wines I can't afford or am not interested in.
Unless Winestate has dramatically improved in the year I have been out of Oz, I would avoid at all costs. It really is an embarrassment. Poor writing and terrible editing and fact checking.
I'd disagree with what was said about Decanter being about people who can afford first growths (check out the World of Fine Wine if you want to know what one of those looks like), but it is focussed on the English market; and rightly so.
The best wine (and food) magazine I read in Oz (and still subscribe to) was Cuisine from New Zealand. I found the articles and tastings both educated and informative; and had a damn sight more substance than GWT.
Daryl,
A copy of which magazine did you buy?
I'd disagree with what was said about Decanter being about people who can afford first growths (check out the World of Fine Wine if you want to know what one of those looks like), but it is focussed on the English market; and rightly so.
The best wine (and food) magazine I read in Oz (and still subscribe to) was Cuisine from New Zealand. I found the articles and tastings both educated and informative; and had a damn sight more substance than GWT.
Daryl,
A copy of which magazine did you buy?
Rawshack wrote:Decanter, which while I still think is aimed at people who can afford Bordeaux 1st growths, is a great magazine. Costly in Aus I think but worth buying from time to time
Winestate - I wanted to like this magazine, really I tried hard to, but it's not much kop. I also think that they're in league with the Wine Society, and thus loses points for that.
Gourmet Wine Traveller- hmm, not sure about this one these days. Started out like a girl you go out with after a one night stand- you're trying to remember how great it was to start with and trying to ignore the faults. To me, there's too much emphasis on promotion. Australia has a rich, varied and exciting wine industry, so why when I read the GMT do I feel I'm picking up a travel agents brochure?
Pretty much agree with all of the above. I've recently taken a shine to Decanter and find it probably the most substantial of these three publications. The articles are generally pretty solid and some of the wine reviews have relevance, or at least spark my interest/imagination about some of the more far flung or expensive wines out there. They're not without the odd controversial blind tasting where a cheapy Bordeaux can outclass a First Growth. All in all though, this offers a good amount of reading, the annual Awards Issue (currently out locally) a good example of this.
Winestate lost me many years ago. Crappy graphic design, a cheap feel about it all up and at times odd selections for lauded wines. It feels like something you'd read in a doctor's surgery waiting room, not a mag you'd buy yourself and take home with the anticipation of a solid read.
Finally, Gourmet Traveller Wine is still on my radar but of recent months, it's become increasingly advertorial (or that's the impression I get at least) and whilst there are a few articles of substance, it doesn't seem to take long before the whole issue is read through and yet... I still feel strangely unsatisfied. Glossy, nicely designed etc and probably the complete opposite of Winestate in many ways.
In some respects, Decanter fits in somewhere between the two.
I've checked out 'World of Fine Wine' but at $45 it's too steep for me, I fear although it certainly looks the goods, words-wise and is suitably erudite looking with the current local issues's Bacchus or somesuch on the cover.
Cheers
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
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