Okay, my first WineLine poll didn’t exactly win over the multitudes, but I figured to try again, with this question: Who is your favorite wine writer? By which I mean, who do you trust most to tell you what’s going on in the world of wine and recommend good ones you should try? It’s a long list – I’ve included some of the obvious and some not so obvious names, from wine-dedicated publications to newspaper columnists. I have not included writers who are primarily bloggers, because I want to preserve my options for future polls. Some of these writers do straddle the line and blog as well as write for their primary publications. The candidates are presented in no particular order, and you can vote for more than one. Please let me know who you trust, and explain why in the comments. Your answers can help me become a better wine writer. And if there’s someone I haven’t listed, you can write in a name and make a case for that writer in the comments.
Cheers,
Dave
Dave McIntyre's WineLine 
Wow, ZERO votes out of 22 (as I write) for Big Bob. I’ll say this for him – he’s consistent. I have a very good understanding of his likes and dislikes, so I wind up with a very good idea of what a wine will be like based on what he says about it.
That could be a factor of the type of people who read this blog – we may not have many Wine Advocate devotees among us.
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I voted for Lettie Teague (and more than one other) because, even though she often writes about wines I cannot afford, she has integrity and standards, and can critique a wine from a broad base of knowledge, rather than just writing a glowing review and giving it a number.
Kermit Lynch was not listed as an option on this poll! Granted, most people wouldn’t categorize him as a wine writer–he’s a Wine Merchant, after all–but his mailers, as well as his Adventures on the Wine Route, are some of the most profound and enjoyable examples of wine writing out there.
Kermit Lynch to be sure (just like importer/writer Terry Theise) and Jasper Morris. Many more writers from the world of print could have been included such as Mike Steinberger, Frank J. Prial (still writes), Tyler Colman is published as is Paul Gregutt, I’d think Stephen Tanzer and Allen Meadows would be more valid than a more recent Parker-subcontractor and how to then omit David Schildknecht, Peter Liem writes very well, there’s Joshua Greene, and the sweet Gaiter/Brecher pair is still around. Other English-speakers: Andrew Jefford, Clive Coates, Tom Stevenson, Tim Atkin, Anthony Rose, Jackie Friedrich, James Halliday, Bill Zacharkiw, Beppi Crosariol, Roger Scruton! –probably quite a few skillful, sincere and widely read still missing, but yes, some very good writers on your list.
The question of this post seems to imply who is your *one* or *the few* favourite wine writers but doesn’t take into account the sub-category context of (although excluding bloggers) for who is one’s favourite writer when it comes to sinking into a book, or reading a regular column in a newspaper, or spending time with a wine magazine, or browsing a newsletter-style thing wich mostly scores wines by number and a little sensation-haiku.. You do well to sum it up with simply, “who do you trust”.
No James Suckling? Not complaining, jussaying.