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Anthony Mueller
Wine authority
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Anthony Mueller first worked in wine before moving into criticism, and that sequence matters: service on the floor gave his writing a working knowledge of bottles, menus, and the pace of hospitality. In 2019, Mueller became reviewer for Washington State and South Africa at The Wine Advocate, a role that placed him in the narrow lane of regional coverage with real discipline and range. His own framing is straightforward: “I realized I needed to become part of a larger wine community in order to achieve my goals.” Read plainly, it describes a professional shift built on participation, not distance.
The Climb
From 2019, Anthony Mueller served as reviewer for Washington State and South Africa at The Wine Advocate while also working as a sommelier and beverage director at some of America’s finest restaurants. That combination of critic and operator kept the work grounded in daily service, where wine is judged against food, timing, and the expectations of a dining room. Today, Mueller is owner and editor in chief of AnthonyMueller.com, carrying that same practical experience into a platform of his own.
Today
Mueller’s wine work continues to sit between criticism and education, with each informing the other. He favors clarity over mystique and treats education as something to begin with tools in hand, not theory on paper. His advice is direct: begin with a good wine key and start pulling corks, letting each bottle reveal its own story. For an artisan of wine, that is a plain instruction with a professional logic behind it. The same approach shows up in how he reads the table. Mueller has said he made a point to talk to every chef he worked with to better understand the culinary arts. That practice links the glass to the plate and keeps evaluation tied to context. For him, knowing what is in the bottle means understanding what is being cooked, served, and intended.
In Their Words “I realized I needed to become part of a larger wine community in order to achieve my goals.” “I made a point to talk to every chef I worked with to better understand the culinary arts.”
Recognition
In 2019, he was selected to review Washington State and South Africa for The Wine Advocate. For Mueller, that assignment marked recognition of a critic who had already done the service work, built the context, and earned the responsibility to write from it.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Anthony
What is Anthony Mueller's current role?
As of 2026, Anthony Mueller is Reviewer for Washington State and South Africa.
Where did Anthony Mueller work before?
Anthony Mueller's earlier career included The Wine Advocate and some of America's finest restaurants.
What is Anthony Mueller known for?
He believes the best way to start wine education is to get a good wine key and start pulling corks, discovering the stories hidden inside each bottle.
