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Feature Article

The Best-of-Appellation Regional Evaluation Program

America (Country Appellation)

Introducing Appellation America's
Best-of-Appellation Evaluation Program

by Roger Dial
May 8, 2008


We hear it all the time from APPELLATION AMERICA readers: “Your publication is an incredibly rich educational resource about the diverse winegrowing places all across North America…so why aren’t you telling us what the BEST wines are from each appellation?”

It’s a darn good question…but more complicated than it may seem on the surface.


DropCap Unlike many of our peers in this wine-ink biz, we’ve struggled long and hard over the whole issue of what constitutes “best”. The wine culture is awash with superficial scoring regimes, reductionist tasting standards, and the so-called “quality” stratification that often amounts to little more than fashion bias. Is Chardonnay somehow inherently better than Riesling, or Chenin Blanc, or Seyval Blanc? Even if one buys into the old “noble varieties” status paradigm, is Napa Valley Chardonnay somehow “better” than Long Island Chardonnay, or less good than Meursault? Are apples better than oranges?

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