Frequently Asked Questions

Central Coast Wine Report is an independent Internet Publication. It is structured differently than a blog and adheres to more stringent principles. (See: "What is an Internet Publication?" below)

 

Central Coast Wine Report focuses on California's Central Coast. This is because we feel this region has historically been eclipsed by Napa (as well as France and other renown European wine producing regions) and has not received the deserved dedicated coverage. Our proximity to the region also allows us to visit its different areas several times a month. This allows us to bring you in-depth and up-to-date information about this very exciting region.

However, there are great wines being made outside the Central Coast. We do not actively seek out those wines for review as that is not the intended format of our publication. Nonetheless, we are occasionally asked to offer an independent opinion of wines sourced and produced outside our "beat" and we are happy to give our impressions of those wines. More information.

All wines reviewed on Central Coast Wine Report are evaluated only by the founder, Arthur Z Przebinda.

Arthur also writes all editorial and commentary. He conducts and writes all interviews. He also oversees all Central Coast Wine Report content and maintains editorial control.

Clear and specific attribution is made when an article not written by Arthur is attributed specifically. Arthur is the chief editor of all Central Coast Wine Report content.

 

Central Coast Wine Report does not accept "advertorial" content.

 

Central Coast Wine Report is willing to consider article submissions on a case-by-case basis. We cannot, however, offer remuneration at this time. In the event that an article will be accepted, redwinebuzz.com will retain editorial control over the piece and reserves the right to redact submissions to suit the tone, styling and formatting.

Articles comprising a scheme intended to increase search engine rankings and to boost another site's traffic or advertising copy styled to look like an editorial or feature article will not be accepted. These are dubious practices, at best, and accepting such articles would compromise our principles and constitute a surrender of editorial control.

 

The purpose of Central Coast Wine Report, as an Internet Publication, is to be a conduit of wine information between wine lovers and Central Coast wines. To sell the wines we review would represent a conflict of interest and compromise impartiality. Each review has hyperlinks to the winery's on-line store or to an establishment which sells the wine. You can click on the label image or on the link in the write up of the wine. We also recommend Wine Searcher.

In keeping with the structure and mission of Central Coast Wine Report as an Internet Publication, tasting notes and recommendations of wine constitute a large part of this site's content. To provide this content, we obtain wines through several avenues: We visit wine country, tasting and purchasing wines which we feel we can recommend. In addition, we visit stores in our area for wines to try and possibly review. Wineries also submit wines to us for review. On some occasions, we will  contact producers of particular wines and invite them to submit specific wines for a focus or feature story (for example: stories focusing on a style, blend, a single variety, year or region). Whether purchased in a store, through a tasting room or submitted as a media sample, all wines are subjected to the same critical analysis.

Central Coast Wine Report and its staff do not solicit or accept compensation or fees in exchange for reviewing wines. We oppose "pay-to-play" schemes.

Yes, we do. If you would like to submit your wines for review, click here.

Central Coast Wine Report and its staff do not solicit or accept compensation or fees in exchange for reviewing wines. We oppose "pay-to-play" schemes.

There is nothing wrong with you. Sensory assessment is like a foreign language. If you listen to people speak a language with which you are not familiar, you can't distinguish one word from another. Your brain, being unfamiliar with the sounds and their groupings, has no reference point and so it can't identify the words. Wine tasting is a similar experience when you are a novice. More often than not, it is unfamiliarity that limits one's full sensory experience of a wine.

It comes down on learning smells, flavors and textures like a language and becoming an "Informed Sensory Observer". There are commercial kits of essential scents available to help one achieve this. One can also build their own reference aroma kit. Some may choose to skip this step and simply compare their sensory findings with tasting notes on a site like this one.

The tasting environment can also have a great impact on your experience: smoking, strong perfumes and colognes, scented lotions, potpourri, incense or other air fresheners can overpower and overload the sense of smell.

Read more about training your brain here.

The Central Coast Wine Report rating scale combines our founder's experience with wines and his belief that readers deserve consistent and clear wine description. Our rating system emphasizes complexity and balance rather than high extraction.

For the purpose of numerical scoring, we had initially adopted a 100 point scale because it is both widely used and most easily understood by the public. However, since our system does not rate wine on a comparative basis or based on a subjective perception of quality or preference, we  no longer use a numerical system. We currently use a five-star system addressing the components assessed. This system still focuses on the merits of the component grapes and expected characteristics of a wine made in a particular style from from specific grapes grown in a given region.

You are welcome to review our rating scale here.

An Internet Publication is more formally structured than a blog. Blogs are on-line journals, usually written by enthusiasts but also by journalists from established, mass media venues and professionals from a field which may or may not be related to the topic of the blog. Blogs take a casual form and personal voice, (some have called this "personal journaling") conveying the personal feelings of its author, typically without the oversight of an editor, often with the intention of commenting or initiating discussion of different topics. In this sense, blog content represents opinion and editorial content. However, in tradition media, the latter carries the assumption that opinions stated in the article are rooted in facts which have been verified and obtained from vetted sources.

An Internet Publication is very much like a print publication but uses a much more nimble publication platform which produces content for the Internet medium:

 

• Has an editorial philosophy and direction and is obligated to follow a set of journalistic and ethical standards with the benefit of the reader as its guiding principle. We believe an editor's role is to maintain a publication's professional tone, direction, clarity, impartiality and integrity.
• Has a responsibility to inform its readers and to address all aspects of a subject in an informative manner rather than embellishing the discussion of a subject with the author's opinion. This is the basis of the distinction between editorial tone and direction and an editorial agenda.
• Seeks to comment while adhering to journalistic standards of accuracy and veracity. The publishers and writers producing an Internet Publication have an obligation be informed and understand all aspects of the areas and subjects they cover.
• Goes beyond an enthusiast’s opinion and speaks responsibly, drawing its voice of authority from fairness and knowledge of and experience with the subject matter.
• In adhering to high journalistic standards, it should be free of relationships and entanglements which would cast doubt on its credibility and impartiality, ones which would serve or benefit parties other than its readers or relationships which would put the interests of other parties (sponsors, advertisers, affiliates, etc.) before those of their readers.
• Offers both factual and impartial writing along side of opinion but is obligated to distinguish and identify opinion and editorial writing as separate from factual reporting whereas a Blog commonly serves primarily as a platform or vehicle for its author's opinions.
• Does not exclude discussion. In fact, this format, while more formal in structure, embraces the spirit of Web 2.0. Bridging the gap between traditional publications and casual social discourse forums, an Internet Publication provides opportunities as well as a forum for discussion and interaction.