Port guru James Suckling "retires" from the Wine Spectator

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Andy Velebil
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Port guru James Suckling "retires" from the Wine Spectator

Post by Andy Velebil »

For an employee of almost 30 years at WS, the announcement of his departure on WS appeared rather hastily written and not your typical happy send off of a long term employee. Here is their complete announcement....
James Suckling, who joined Wine Spectator in 1981 and has served as European bureau chief since 1988, has retired from the company.

Suckling’s tasting responsibilities have been reassigned. The wines will be reviewed in our standard blind-tastings in the company’s New York office.

Senior editor and tasting director Bruce Sanderson will oversee coverage of Italy. Sanderson, who has been with the magazine for 18 years, currently reviews the wines of Burgundy, Champagne and Germany. His most recent cover story was an in-depth analysis of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Senior editor James Molesworth, who is responsible for France’s Rhône Valley and Loire Valley, will add Bordeaux to his portfolio. Molesworth has been with Wine Spectator for 14 years. He also reviews the wines of Argentina, Chile and South Africa.

Managing editor Kim Marcus reviews the table wines of Portugal; he will now take responsibility for Port as well. Marcus, who joined Wine Spectator 23 years ago, also tastes the wines of Austria and southern France.

"James Suckling has been a significant contributor to the success of Wine Spectator,” said editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken. ‟He will be missed. We are very fortunate to have significant depth in our editorial team. In fact, moving these tastings to New York, where we have a larger staff and better logistical control, will allow us to strengthen our coverage of these important wine regions."
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Port guru James Suckling "retires" from the Wine Spectator

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

Smacks of "thank goodness he's finally gone. He was a right pain in the ass insisting on visiting all those places where the wine is produced. Much better to taste them after a long sea journey so we can judge what they will be like when we Americans buy them in our country."

I suspect, as you've implied, that there is a lot more to this than meets the eye.
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 17:57 Fri 16 Jul 2010, edited 1 time in total.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
Andy Velebil
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Re: Port guru James Suckling "retires" from the Wine Spectator

Post by Andy Velebil »

AHB wrote: He was a right pain in the ass insisting on visiting all those places where the wine is produced. Much better to taste them after a long sea journey so we can judge what they will bevlikecwhen we Americans buy them in our country."
Alex,
That is what most people seem to be missing. The way it's worded implies they don't want their writers to travel, but instead, to stay in New York and taste everything there. I hope that isn't the case.....
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DRT
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Re: Port guru James Suckling "retires" from the Wine Spectator

Post by DRT »

Is it too much to hope that he has resigned so that he can move to Oporto to spend 3 years updating his book on Vintage Port? :roll:
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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