The Countdown Begins November 28 at WineSpectator.com, as Magazine Celebrates 40th Anniversary
New York, NY, November 22, 2016 – After tasting more than 18,000 wines from vineyards around the globe, the editors at Wine Spectator are set to release their much-anticipated list of the Top 100 Wines of 2016. The countdown begins on Monday, November 28 at http://top100.winespectator.com.
Selections are based on four criteria: quality (represented by score), value (reflected by price), availability (based on the number of cases either made or imported into the U.S.) and what Wine Spectator calls the “X-factor”—or, in other words, the excitement generated by the wine.
The Top 100 countdown will be a week-long process—each day featuring a new unveiling:
• Monday, November 28: Wines 10 & 9
• Tuesday, November 29: Wines 8 & 7
• Wednesday, November 30: Wines 6 & 5
• Thursday, December 1: Wines 4, 3 & 2
• Friday, December 2: #1 Wine of the Year
The full list of the Top 100 Wines of 2016 is revealed online Monday, December 5.
“There’s never been a more exciting time for wine, as this year’s Top 100 list is remarkably impressive, complex and diverse—representing both traditional and emerging regions,” said Thomas Matthews, executive editor, Wine Spectator. “We’re thrilled with how this year’s list turned out, and we anticipate our readers will thoroughly enjoy the variety of rising stars, great values and benchmark bottles we selected.”
An annual highlight since 1988, the Top 100 list presents a diverse group, ranging from emerging labels and regions to traditional estates exploring new directions. The list is a guide to wineries to watch in the future—a reflection of the producers and wines that Wine Spectator’s editors are most passionate about.
Coinciding with the countdown, Wine Spectator has released two online videos from the magazine’s senior editors: How Wine Spectator Picks the Top 100 and In the Tasting Room at Wine Spectator. In addition, online visitors have the chance to enter Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Sweepstakes, which offers the opportunity to win one bottle each of the Top 10 wines from the 2015 list.
The full Top 100 list will be featured at http://top100.winespectator.com and in print in the magazine’s December 31 issue, on newsstands December 13.
About Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is the world’s leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches more than 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web’s most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews of more than 18,000 wines each year. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
