James Molesworth joined Wine Spectator in 1997 as tasting coordinator and was promoted to senior editor in 2004. He is lead taster for California Cabernet, France’s Bordeaux and Rhône Valley regions, and Port.

A native New Yorker, Molesworth was raised by parents who loved wine and entertained often. He studied anthropology and Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and, after graduating, landed his first job with a Manhattan specialty wine retailer, Burgundy Wine Company. He later became cellarmaster, and then sommelier, at the '21' Club.

Based in Wine Spectator’s New York office, Molesworth travels regularly to Napa, Bordeaux and the Rhône to taste and visit wineries. When he’s not tasting or writing, he’s usually listening to his vinyl collection or hitting the gym.