Online Subscription Choice - Wine Spectator or Wine Advocate

I am pondering an offer to subscribe for a year to ONLINE Wine Spectator @ $25.

Wine Advocate is $100.

Is there 'that' much difference between the two website offerings.

Does anyone have a decided preference for people on a limited wine budget (not Charles Shaw -- hehe).

Dee Dee

Reply to
Dee Dee
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Dee Dee,

I don't have any experience with Wine Advocate but I did subscribe to Wine Spectator on-line for a couple of years. I used extensively their wine rating feature to check out wines and keep an on-line record of my wine collection. I used to a lesser extent the forums, vintage chart information and articles. The cost was initially $19 since I also subscribed to the magazine and at this price I thought it was a bargain. What will happen though is that in the second year the price automatically jumps to $49 for the subscription. (Still less than the $100 WA is asking.) I noticed this when I first signed up said I didn't want the "automatic" renewal feature. I understood that I didn't (have this) and then a year later saw the billing on my credit card. I'm now two months into trying to get the charges removed.

Enjoy.

Reply to
JB

Thanks for taking the time to write of your experience. Geez, I can't stand this type of credit card billing; I'm glad you mentioned this; because this is too tiresome for me to waste my time on. Dee Dee

Reply to
Dee Dee

You should take a look at the Wine Enthusiast websites,

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and
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The latter is the wine enthusiast with their ratings, which I have never found significantly different from Spectator, except that both of these websites are FREE. I have also subscribed to Spectator on-line for a while and have had no problems with their billing.

pavane

Reply to
pavane

If your tastes and/or pocketbook run more to lower priced wines, then erobertparker.com is probably not for you. At $100, it's value lies in it's database of ratings and tasting notes when searching for wines. There are indeed some really low priced wines in there - but most are $30 and way up. I like it because each year I use it to help me find high QPR Bordeaux for my cellar. The $100 is well spent. As for Spectator - I still have a problem with their ratings. Too often I suspect influence based on commercial interest; probably just paranoia, but it bothers me nevertheless. You might find that wine forums such as this may be your better bet - no $, and lots of good info!

Reply to
AxisOfBeagles

Neither, of course. What a waste of time and money.

Reply to
UC

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