Paul Wasserman

As we rush to complete our ritual holiday shopping, most 2002 harvests in the Northern Hemisphere have been converted into wine. Naturally, these wines are far from finished, and it would be unfair to judge the results so soon, but whispers and rumors of things to come are already and inevitably shaping the trends for […]

After enjoying a wealth of remarkable wines from around the world, the wine trade is about to suffer something of a hangover. This is not to say that the industry lacks exciting wine. France’s highly acclaimed 2000 Bordeaux are here. Italy continues its run of stellar vintages with releases from Piedmont. Australia is about to […]

Teutonic Treasure Langwerth von Simmern (Rheingau, Germany). Once upon a time, the wines of the Rheingau were the most famous in the world, selling for more than Lafite or Montrachet. The vineyard most responsible for this reputation was Erbacher Marcobrunn, whose praises were sung by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since […]

As part of a select group of wine merchants, we were about to taste the 1999 releases from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), the fastest-selling vintage in Burgundy since the revered 1990. Still, no one present at Spago in Beverly Hills, Calif., had been quite prepared for the solemnity of the occasion. Aubert de Villaine, […]

Unlike Bordeaux, where the châteaux are classified, in Burgundy, it’s the land itself that matters, regardless of the talent (or honesty) of its owner. Prices are based on a vineyard’s potential, rather than on the true quality of the wine made from its grapes. Not surprisingly, many seasoned connoisseurs will tell you that their greatest […]

Austrian Overture Nigl 2000 Riesling Privat (Kremstal, Austria). Few regions have burst on the scene with such a cornucopia of world-class, food-friendly, and refreshingly un-oaked wines as Austria. And Nigl has proven itself one of the country’s best. This wine is truly a monument to the wine maker’s skill. The 2000 Riesling Privat has an […]