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James Laube
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
James Laube arrived in Manhattan for Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience with the practical relief of someone coming off a long flight and ready to taste. After hours in transit, with the Saints-Giants game playing on the airline TV, he said he was ready for food and wine. That kind of arrival sets the terms for the week ahead: less theater, more palate, and a schedule built around tasting after travel. His read on Greek wine was equally plain. James Laube said he knows little about Greek wines, and that even when sommeliers praise Greek wine lists, his own tastes often run the other way. The value of that position is its lack of polish; it is a direct account from a critic who is naming the limits of his frame rather than pretending otherwise. That skepticism is not a rejection. It sits alongside the acknowledgment that the category is moving, and that the change is being tracked by people with direct experience. From Laube's side, the point is not to force a verdict but to register where the wines stand now, with the understanding that the conversation is still open.
The Essentials James Laube also said he knows Greek wines are improving, as his colleague Kim Marcus, who reviews the wines and has visited the country, has reported in recent years. The point is modest but important: one critic's view here is informed by another's reporting, which is how wine knowledge often advances in practice. It is less about claiming authority than about reading the category through accumulated observation.
In Their Words “I know Greek wines are improving, as my colleague Kim Marcus, who reviews the wines and has visited the country, has reported in recent years.” “I know little about Greek wines and even when sommeliers rave about their Greek wine lists my tastes often run contrary.”
FAQ
Profile updated July 2026
