The Top 100 Best Buys are wines that carry a suggested retail price of no more than $15 and whose quality is outstanding in comparison to its price. Low-cost producers and producing regions dominate the list, but the good news is that the quality of wine in these regions has never been better.
The Top 100 Cellar Selections are wines that require time in a temperature- and humidity-controlled cellar to reach their maximum potential. These are often among the highest-rated wines of the year, and price is less important in compiling this Top 100 list than for any of the others.
The Top 25 Beers In styles from ales to wheat beers, from the most innovative, quality-minded craft and traditional brewers worldwide.
The Top 50 Spirits represents a cross-section of the most intriguing whiskeys, liqueurs, gins, vodkas, brandies, tequilas and rums. It is an important and exciting category, since sales of distilled spirits in the U.S. have jumped from 140.6 million cases in 1998 to 181.6 million in 2007.
The Enthusiast 100 represent the most diverse and dynamic wines available. They are wines that offer extraordinary quality at prices that still represent affordable luxury. They are mostly wines that can be consumed over the near term, although some will undoubtedly benefit from cellaring.
About the Top Wines and Spirits of 2009
Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast Magazine present their selection of the Top wines and Spirits of the Year—lists that are highly anticipated by the industry and the public. The editors select 300 wines in three categories, and 50 spirits for special recommendation to its readers. In compiling these lists, the editors go beyond simple evaluation of numeric scores and pricing. Also considered are availability, buzz (a wine’s newsworthiness or excitement factor, and whether it represents notable trends in the wine market) and balance—each list should represent a cross-section of styles and varieties. All in all, Wine Enthusiast’s Top 300 wines and Top 50 spirits comprise a valuable resource for the wine and spirits devotee, and will be a welcome companion when readers go shopping for their bottles in the coming year.