Explore the Top 100 Wines of 2020!

Wine IQ

Get Smart

A vineyard and a winery building

What Am I Tasting?

This snappy red displays cherry, blueberry, black tea and earth notes ... Play the game!

Jan 22, 2021

Proceeds for the Wine Experience go toward the Wine Spectator Scholarship Fund's charitable efforts.

Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation Donates $100,000 to Support Diversity in Wine Education

The contribution to the Glancy Wine Education Foundation will provide financial aid to disadvantaged and minority workers seeking wine education

Jan 21, 2021

From cooking comfort food to making creative cocktails, from celebrating the pleasures of wine at home to visiting California vicariously with chef Charlie Palmer, videos helped make 2020 a little livelier.

Top New Wine Videos of 2020

With how-to tutorials, ABCs of wine regions, cooking tips and more, these top videos could help make the most of your time at home

Dec 29, 2020

A man reading a newspaper near a plate of food and a glass of wine

Quiz: Top Stories of 2020

From natural disasters to wine’s health benefits to the fate of an infamous wine fraudster, 2020 was an eventful year for wine and food stories. Do you know the details of our most-read articles of the year? Take our quiz!

Jan 8, 2021

Ask Dr. Vinny

Ask Dr. Vinny

Image for the article titled: What’s the difference between Brix, Baumé, Oechsle and residual sugar?

Image for the article titled: What’s the difference between Brix, Baumé, Oechsle and residual sugar?

What’s the difference between Brix, Baumé, Oechsle and residual sugar?

Jan 18, 2021

Image for the article titled: Will my wines get too cold in the garage?

Will my wines get too cold in the garage?

Jan 11, 2021

Image for the article titled: Dr. Vinny's 25 Top Answers to 'What's the Difference Between …?'

Dr. Vinny's 25 Top Answers to 'What's the Difference Between …?'

Jan 4, 2021

Image for the article titled: Dr. Vinny's Most Interesting Questions of 2020

Dr. Vinny's Most Interesting Questions of 2020

Dec 31, 2020

Image for the article titled: Dr. Vinny Answers Your Pandemic Questions (About Wine)

Dr. Vinny Answers Your Pandemic Questions (About Wine)

Dec 28, 2020

See More Dr. Vinny ›

Know Your Grapes

Know Your Grapes

Image for the article titled:Cabernet Sauvignon

Image for the article titled:Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

The reigning champion of the red wine world has captured the imagination of vintners and wine drinkers across the globe

Image for the article titled:Chardonnay

Chardonnay

A versatile variety made in many styles from lean to opulent, this white grape is ubiquitous around the world

Image for the article titled:Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

This Burgundian grape makes elegant, flavorful reds from the most prized vineyard sites in the world

Image for the article titled:Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc

A fair-weather go-to that is refreshing and aromatic, known for its pungent herbal flavors and racy acidity

Image for the article titled:Syrah

Syrah

This red grape shines in its Rhône Valley homeland, but has also gained glory in intriguing New World locales

See More Grapes ›

How To

How To

Cut off the top part of the capsule before inserting the corkscrew near the center of the cork.

Cut off the top part of the capsule before inserting the corkscrew near the center of the cork.

Top Tips for Opening a Wine Bottle

How to deal with different types of bottles, corks, other closures and corkscrews

Which wines will benefit from decanting? Read on …

Decanting 101

What you need to know to inform your decanting decisions

Sparkling wines should be kept chilled to preserve their freshness.

3 Tips to Achieve the Perfect Serving Temperature

Expert advice on enjoying your bottles at their best

Place your wine racks away from heat and direct sunlight.

7 Wine-Storage Basics You Need to Know

Tips on keeping your fine wines at their best without spending a lot

Choose a wine whose weight matches the weight of the food you're serving.

How to Match Wine with Food

6 simple tips for successful pairings

Wine Savvy

The Hue Society has launched welcoming, multicultural events for consumers such as the Black Wine Experience at Essence Festival in 2019.

Diversity in Action

Scholarships, events and other resources from organizations working toward a more inclusive wine world

Red wine stored in smaller bottles and a jar

How to Save Leftover Wine

Didn't finish that bottle? It would be a shame to let it go to waste—and this videos shows how you don't have to!

Image for the article titled:Our Guide to Buying Wine

Our Guide to Buying Wine

How do you find the wine you want? Tips on shopping at wine stores, online retailers, auctions and wineries.

Michele Dal Forno in Dal Forno’s drying rooms, where appassimento takes place

All About Amarone

How is Valpolicella's prized, rich red made? The process is fraught with potential for disaster …

Image for the article titled:Video: How to Open Sparkling Wine

Video: How to Open Sparkling Wine

What's the right way to pop a bottle of bubbly? This easy tutorial tells you everything you need to know!

Bordeaux's Cité du Vin celebrates wine around the world.

The ABCs of Bordeaux

France's premier wine region gave the world the classic red blend of Cabernet and Merlot

Artist Carl Laubin was commissioned to produce this painting of Bordeaux's 61 classified growths in 1992.

The 1855 Bordeaux Classification

The ranking system put in place by Napoleon III still influences today's market

Future releases of Château Margaux rest in barrel.

How (and Why) to Buy Wine Futures

What are the pros and cons of paying up front for wine that hasn't been bottled yet?

Hundreds of casks represented hundreds of years' worth of wines at Gonzales Byass' solera.

Sweet Wines 101

The world's finest dessert wines can be otherworldly. No surprise, then, that it takes superhuman effort to make them

Image for the article titled:Video: How to Serve Wine Like a Pro

Video: How to Serve Wine Like a Pro

How much wine is appropriate to pour? How can you avoid drips? Watch this 2-minute tutorial for tips and tricks

Veraison, when grapes start to change color and soften, marks the beginning of harvest season.

Harvest 101: The Basics of Crush Season

Learn what goes on in the vineyard and winery during each stage of the annual harvest for wine grapes

Covenant and Herzog are two top California wineries that produce kosher wines.

Kosher Wine Explained

What makes these wines different? We asked winemakers about the misperceptions and requirements

Glossary

Unfamiliar with a term in a tasting note or on a wine label? Wondering what all the winemaking jargon means? Look it up in our glossary.

What Am I Tasting

Jan 22, 2021

Quiz: Top Stories of 2020

Jan 08, 2021

Sips & Tips Newsletter

Get exclusive knowledge on all things wine with our popular newsletter

Popular Posts

Popular Posts

Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020 graphic

Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020 graphic

Top 100 of 2020: The Year's Most Exciting Wines

Dec 14, 2020

Dusty Baker takes in a college game with a glass of his own wine.

Dusty Baker takes in a college game with a glass of his own wine.

Wine Talk: Dusty Baker's Homage to Hank Aaron

Shawn Zylberberg

Jan 15, 2021

Peaceful moments are more the norm at Domaine de Rymska hotel in France's Burgundy region.

Peaceful moments are more the norm at Domaine de Rymska hotel in France's Burgundy region.

Burgundy Burglars Nab $425,000 in Wine, Lob Bottles at Cops in Mario Kart–Style Getaway

Shawn Zylberberg

Jan 20, 2021

Man reading paper with glass of wine

Man reading paper with glass of wine

Quiz: Top Stories of 2020

Jan 8, 2021

WineRatings+

Restaurant Search