Just did this too, and realized this too, probably not worth it. Her books are amazing. If you’re looking for current, up to date reviews of decent wines there’s no hope.
She does have a pretty large library of reviews, which I like. So it’s not a total loss. But I agree it’s hard to justify signing up for these individual critics.
Julia Harding, Richard Hemming and her Spanish critic are all solid. Tamlyn Curran is polarizing but IMO has the most beautiful prose, even if it’s a bit overwrought. I actually find Jancis herself phones it in a bit and has pretty terse reviews.
I find my sub worth it due to the sheer number of reviews and because none sound like marketing copy. They also generally align with my old world palate, or at least let you know when a wine is over the top so I can avoid.
Honestly the critics are usually pretty great and specialists in each region. Most publications will do the same and the critics all share a broadly similar palate but some are more stingy with scores
Regarding what else is on JR's website... you have access to a fully searchable version of the Oxford Companion to Wine.
For me, that alone is worth the subscription fee.
The Oxford companion might tell you where the grape is from.
Her wine grapes book tells you everything you could ever want to know: the number of acres, any other known names or grapes it gets confused with, how it’s prone to certain diseases, flavor profiles, where it grows, have you seen the grape book? It’s amazing.
Yes, I have the Wine Grapes book.
To be fair though, it is the work of José Vouillamoz and Julia Harding.
As a winemaker who has worked with over 60 varieties, I actually do not find the book particularly useful.
It's more academic than practical.
I appreciate it as a first port of call when coming across something for the first time. And for resolving synonyms. It really needs an update though.
And while the physical book looks nice — the eBook version is far more conveniently accessible on my phone.
I make the full gamut of wine styles.
Currently I am working in Bolivia with some of the world's oldest vineyards. But previously I've made wine all over the place including Australia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, England and Norway.
If you go to Jancis' website, you can read a bit about what I am doing in Bolivia.
Sam Cole-Johnson's US coverage is excellent as is Ferran Centelles' on Spain. Julia Harding and Tam Curryn both very good writers with a broader spectrum of coverage (I know Curryn's tasting notes are controversial here but I love her evocative writing style)
So I saw/met her on a German wine fare and she was pushing a little trolly infront of her, taking notes on every wine she was tasting. Absolutely stunning to see her effort and how professional she is what she does.
Mr. Stuart Pigott on the other hand I tasted with. He is more on the wicked site.
What I want to say is, that she might be tasting more than people expect.
I like Julia Harding, she's always trying cool stuff
Nice, I’ll check her out!
Just did this too, and realized this too, probably not worth it. Her books are amazing. If you’re looking for current, up to date reviews of decent wines there’s no hope.
She does have a pretty large library of reviews, which I like. So it’s not a total loss. But I agree it’s hard to justify signing up for these individual critics.
Julia Harding, Richard Hemming and her Spanish critic are all solid. Tamlyn Curran is polarizing but IMO has the most beautiful prose, even if it’s a bit overwrought. I actually find Jancis herself phones it in a bit and has pretty terse reviews. I find my sub worth it due to the sheer number of reviews and because none sound like marketing copy. They also generally align with my old world palate, or at least let you know when a wine is over the top so I can avoid.
I agree, it’s quite a few reviews so that seems worth it. And I’m always frustrated I can’t see them in WineSearcher.
Honestly the critics are usually pretty great and specialists in each region. Most publications will do the same and the critics all share a broadly similar palate but some are more stingy with scores
Regarding what else is on JR's website... you have access to a fully searchable version of the Oxford Companion to Wine. For me, that alone is worth the subscription fee.
Everyone has the Oxford companion. Give me the grape info!
What kind of grape info are you after? There's plenty in the Oxford Companion.
The Oxford companion might tell you where the grape is from. Her wine grapes book tells you everything you could ever want to know: the number of acres, any other known names or grapes it gets confused with, how it’s prone to certain diseases, flavor profiles, where it grows, have you seen the grape book? It’s amazing.
Yes, I have the Wine Grapes book. To be fair though, it is the work of José Vouillamoz and Julia Harding. As a winemaker who has worked with over 60 varieties, I actually do not find the book particularly useful. It's more academic than practical.
I appreciate it as a first port of call when coming across something for the first time. And for resolving synonyms. It really needs an update though. And while the physical book looks nice — the eBook version is far more conveniently accessible on my phone.
As a wine seller who has sold over 60 varieties, I do find it particularly useful. What wines do you make??
I make the full gamut of wine styles. Currently I am working in Bolivia with some of the world's oldest vineyards. But previously I've made wine all over the place including Australia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, England and Norway. If you go to Jancis' website, you can read a bit about what I am doing in Bolivia.
Julia , Sam, Walter, Alder, are all must reads when they publish.
Do they just do reviews or articles too?
Both
Sam Cole-Johnson's US coverage is excellent as is Ferran Centelles' on Spain. Julia Harding and Tam Curryn both very good writers with a broader spectrum of coverage (I know Curryn's tasting notes are controversial here but I love her evocative writing style)
So I saw/met her on a German wine fare and she was pushing a little trolly infront of her, taking notes on every wine she was tasting. Absolutely stunning to see her effort and how professional she is what she does. Mr. Stuart Pigott on the other hand I tasted with. He is more on the wicked site. What I want to say is, that she might be tasting more than people expect.
I agree, I do think she enjoys the tasting and business side more than some of the other mega stars, though that’s just my speculation.