Any opinion of "Decanter" magazine

I discovered that the local Barnes and Noble carries "Decanter" It certainly looks "serious." Any opinions of their reviews-particularly European wines?

I discovered that the local Barnes and Noble carries "Decanter" It certainly looks "serious." Any opinions of their reviews-particularly European wines?

Their reviews are particularly European...

There is information in the mag, but there is also a lot of horse race stuff that I once wrote to them about: best this, best that sort of nonsense.

Disclaimer: I wrote an article for them once.

I don't have first hand experience w/ the publication, but the guy who runs the wine seminars I frequent gives it props, especially over Wine Spectator. Of course, this guy is French, so in light of what Thomas mentioned that would make sense.

I'm thinking about subscribing myself.

IMO it had gone appallingly downhill and was of little interest to me bar the news pages at the front and occasionally the Michael Broadbent column. Their version of the International Wine Challenge (in itself not something that impresses me) was laughable when they couldn't get anyone of substance to enter for many of the categories (but still proclaimed them the 'best wine' in that category). An utter waste of time, let alone money.

... However I note there is now a new editor and more positive views are emerging from UK based readers who stuck it out, so maybe worth grabbing a single edition before piling into a subscription.

regards

Ian

Brian, our own Victor de la Serna is a contributing writer for Decanter, so it can't be all bad. I have never seen it on a news stand, so I have no first hand experience.

Brian, our own Victor de la Serna is a contributing writer for Decanter, so it can't be all bad. I have never seen it on a news stand, so I have no first hand experience.

I don't think it's on the news stand in the U.S, at least I've never seen it there. I believe it is mainly sold by subscription and through wine retailers--and I guess at Barnes and Noble too.

The mag has a Web site.

I buy it every month except when they have the "Best of the Year" awards. As Ian says, a bl....joke!
It has improved lately and most content is very readable. Good columnists too and none of that WS stuff like "shopping in Florence". Try for sure, oh should be available in high-end newspaper stores.

I find the quality of the articles to be very variable. Some abject drivel, some quite interesting, and quite a few of "Michael's" horse race articles. Actually the general comments preceeding the horse race results are some of the bits I find most interesting. Due to the variablity, I'd suggest buying a few copies before deciding on suscription.

I subscribe to Decanter but find it quite a mixed bag.

There are quite a lot of populist and journalistically superficial articles of little interest and that ridiculous Wine Challenge imitation.

On the other hand, they have some good correspondents (Broadbent and Jefford stand out) and I enjoy their panel tastings of various wine types; these panels consist of MWs, sommeliers and serious wine writers and often provide interesting insights.

Another good feature for an European magazine (if I am allowed to refer to something British as European!) is fairly extensive coverage of New World wines as well as European and the bringing of an European perspective to their appreciation (compared with WS or WA).

I subscribe to Decanter but find it quite a mixed bag.

There are quite a lot of populist and journalistically superficial articles of little interest and that ridiculous Wine Challenge imitation.

On the other hand, they have some good correspondents (Broadbent and Jefford stand out) and I enjoy their panel tastings of various wine types; these panels consist of MWs, sommeliers and serious wine writers and often provide interesting insights.

Another good feature for an European magazine (if I am allowed to refer to something British as European!) is fairly extensive coverage of New World wines as well as European and the bringing of an European perspective to their appreciation (compared with WS or WA).

Yes, I admire Jefford's writing.

Some abject drivel, some quite interesting, and quite a few of "Michael's" horse race articles.

Oh, to be remembered properly by the masses...

The excerpted reviews I've seen on Burgundy wines seem to ring true. I would probably enjoy the tasting panel reports due to the level of expertise involved.
It's hard to find one wine magazine that is totally satisfactory or even largely satisfactory. When I was following gymnastics I got frustrated because the magazine to which I subscribed had national and international results but also was geared to teeny-boppers in gymnastics clubs and wrote "down" to that level. It also gave more coverage to female gymnasts than male gymnasts because so many of the readers were young girls aspiring to gymnastics glory.

i subscribe and enjoy it quite a bit - usually. i too like to panel stuff.

[Jenise]

Brian, I've never even held an issue in my hand, but I find myself frequently stumping the internet looking for information or reviews on European wines popular in Europe but virtually unknown here, and Decanter often offers the solution to my problem. They seem to cover Bordeaux quite well, too.

Some abject drivel, some quite interesting, and quite a few of "Michael's" horse race articles.

Oh, to be remembered properly by the masses...

Oops, sorry Joe.

(And actually it is the preambles to what others here are calling panel tastings that I enjoy reading. Though they too always produce winners and losers.)

The excerpted reviews I've seen on Burgundy wines seem to ring true. I would probably enjoy the tasting panel reports due to the level of expertise involved.
It's hard to find one wine magazine that is totally satisfactory or even largely satisfactory. When I was following gymnastics I got frustrated because the magazine to which I subscribed had national and international results but also was geared to teeny-boppers in gymnastics clubs and wrote "down" to that level. It also gave more coverage to female gymnasts than male gymnasts because so many of the readers were young girls aspiring to gymnastics glory.

Sorry to take this off topic, but JC...were you involved in gymnastics at some point? I used to compete on the state level when I was an adolescent, as did my sister. She continued to follow it on a recreational level into adulthood. Me, I'm just not that flexible or energetic anymore!