"AxisOfBeagles" in :
> ...
> But I'm surprised at the negativity towards the magazine here.

You should have seen the more specific testimonials about it posted here in
late 1980s. (And about other wine publications as well.) From one thread
(one poster quoting another):

>> After a previous discussion on wine, someone suggested that
>> we look into the Wine Spectator ... but the buying guide has
>> caused us to have some interesting (funny) experiences...
>> recently, we have been in ... stores carrying a copy of the
>> buying guide and looking for specfic wines. Out of the
>> woodwork, the wine buyers in each of the stores has
>> come up to us and offered to help locate things...
>
>Well, no wonder: the average subscriber to the Wine Spectator has an
>annual household income of $245,000! Carrying the WS into a wine store is
>like carrying a cat through the Westminster Kennel Club dog show,
>guaranteed to gain attention. My local (and unimpressible) merchant calls
>it the Wine Speculator, says the average person who walks in carrying it is
>both inexperienced and insecure, but will buy anything that WS recommends
>as long as it has an impressive label and at least LOOKS LIKE it cost a
>lot!


Of course that was two decades ago, presumably things have changed somewhat.

[Note: Income figure adjusted to equivalent 2007 dollars by US government
Consumer Price Index. -- MH]