FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026 DIRECT PRESS: BIG WINE
Explore "Big Wines" with us
Hot climates, ripe fruit, chewy tannins, and high alcohol make for some big wines — but so does human manipulation. What are we really talking about when we say big, full-bodied wine?
I know that many who enjoy light, chillable reds, like myself, may be apprehensive of 'big wines.' My theory is that it is not big wines, per se, but the ones created through jacked-up, heavy-handed methods. The late Joe Dressner called this 'spoof'. We are not including 'spoofy' wines in this rundown. Instead we've assembled wines with full-bodied characteristics – ripe fruit, prominent tannin, higher alcohol, concentration, and richness – that honestly express the place they come from. More than anything we want to show that big can still mean balanced and compelling: like a bodybuilder with the grace of a dancer.
By Jonathan Kemp
Subscribers get first dibs and exclusive discounts on the wines below. Learn more here.
Print copies go out to our members but anyone can download the latest issue and purchase the wines we've selected to go along with the theme of the 'zine.
