If you enjoy wine, this time of year is always fun as various wine publications and “wine experts” release their “Top Wine Picks” for 2016.
The most popular list is the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 which is published every year around Thanksgiving. The Wine Spectator uses a combination of wine quality, value and availability to determine their Top 100. This year’s list represents various wine regions, varietals and price points. The top ten wines alone include two Napa Valley California Cabernet Sauvignon’s, an Oregon Chardonnay, an Oregon Pinot Noir, a French Sauterne, a French Sauvignon Blanc, a California Petite Sirah, a California Zinfandel, an Italian Barbaresco and an Italian Super Tuscan. How’s that for diversity!
The #1 wine chosen by Wine Spectator was the Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I had a chance to taste this wine when I visited Lewis Cellars in March with friends and family for a private tasting. It’s an excellent wine at a very reasonable price point ($90/bottle) for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Lewis Cellars produced 1,600 cases of the #1 Wine.
Another popular “Top 100” list is released by James Suckling, a former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief for Wine Spectator. Suckling’s selections are based purely on quality. In other words, the price of the wine and its availability don’t play a significant role in the selection process. The #1 Wine on James Suckling’s list in 2016 is the Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon ($350/bottle). Opus One is based in Napa Valley and was founded by Baron Phillipe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. In addition to his 2016 Top 100 selections, Suckling has a 2016 Top 100 Reds of Napa Valley, 2016 Top 100 Bordeaux, 2016 Top 100 Italian and 2016 Top 100 The Andes (Chile and Argentina) lists.
Both the Wine Spectator and James Suckling Top 100 Lists are created by a team who taste wines throughout the year to arrive at their selections. A Top 100 List that involves no tastings is the Wine.com Top 100 which is based solely on customer preferences. The thinking is customer purchases should provide a good indicator of how wines stack up! The Wine.com #1 Wine for 2016 is the Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($14/bottle).
Suffice to say there are a number of very good wines from throughout the world at various price points you can enjoy!