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Wine Enthusiast Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Online is conceived and executed by a team of experienced editors based in New York, California, Washington, France and Italy. Each offers a unique set of expertise, personality and perspective to Wine Enthusiast’s team, but everyone on our staff is united by one mission: to taste, enjoy, and communicate our love of the best wines, spirits and food in the world to readers in a fun, fresh and accessible way. Learn more about what makes us tick below, and check back soon for blogs and columns covering everything from the great screwcap debate to why you should drink Chardonnay for breakfast.
Joe Czerwinski
jczerwin@wineenthusiast.net
Tasting Director and Senior Editor Joe Czerwinski joined Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 1999 as an associate editor. In addition to managing the entire tasting and review program, he reviews wines from France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
Tim Moriarty
tmoriarty@wineenthusiast.net
Tim Moriarty has been managing editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine for six years. A 25-year publishing industry veteran, Tim has been managing editor and/or founding editor of a number of publications, including Chocolatier, Pastry Art & Design and Videogaming Illustrated. He has written dozens of articles and columns on wine, food and electronic media. Tim is co-author, with Tish Boyle, of six chocolate and dessert books, including Chocolate Passion (1999, John Wiley & Sons), Grand Finales (1997, Van Nostrand Reinhold) and Simply Sensational Desserts (1999, Broadway Books, ghosted for author Francois Payard) as well as sole author of a novel, Vampire Nights (1989, Pinnacle Books).
My first "Aha" wine moment was:
Dinner at Daniel in New York City with a vertical of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. It was a sublime pairing of great food by Chef Daniel Boulud and stellar wines by a legendary Burgundy house, and everyone at the table shared the enchantment.
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
Pasta with pesto and most any Italian white, like Vermentino.
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
Empty.
Susan Kostrzewa
skostrze@wineenthusiast.net
Senior Editor Susan Kostrzewa joined Wine Enthusiast in 2006, when she moved from Sonoma, California, to Manhattan. Kostrzewa has written and edited wine, food and travel stories for the past 12 years, and in addition to editing WE’s print magazine and online publication, currently reviews wines from South Africa, Greece, Canada, Eastern Europe and all U.S. states except California, Oregon and Washington. She is also the head of the magazine's book publishing department and recently co-edited the Wine Enthusiast Wine & Food Pairings cookbook.
My first "aha" wine moment was:
While visiting friends in California in 1995, I toured the Russian River Valley and imbibed a glass of Rochioli Pinot Noir that changed the course of my writing career forever.
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
Albariño and langoustines.
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
A Côtes du Rhône red--earthy and soulful.
Michael Schachner
Michael Schachner is a New York-based journalist specializing in wine, food and travel. His articles appear regularly in Wine Enthusiast, for which he is a contributing editor and a member of the magazine’s tasting panel. In addition, he is a wine consultant and professional speaker. His areas of wine expertise include Spain and South America.
Steve Heimoff
sheimoff@wineenthusiast.net
West Coast Editor Steve Heimoff was born in New York City and moved to California to attend grad school. He quickly discovered wine, which became his passion. He has been with Wine Enthusiast for 13 years and reviews virtually all of the California wines. His book, A Wine Journey along the Russian River, was published in 2005 by University of California Press. New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff, also from U.C. Press, was published in 2007.
My first "Aha" wine moment was:
A Wente Grey Riesling, in the 1970s. Yes, it was a modest, inexpensive wine, but it was the first time I ever went to a wine shop with the intention of buying a varietal wine, as opposed to just “a bottle of wine.” I distinctly remember how excited I was knowing that a long future of studying and discovering the world of wine lay ahead.
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
Pinot Noir and almost anything!
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
A fabulous Pinot Noir with a screwtop.
Roger Voss
European Editor Roger Voss is a wine and food author and journalist. He has been writing on wine and food for the past 25 years. His books include France: A Feast of Food and Wine; The Wines of the Loire; Pocket Guide to the Wines of the Loire, Alsace and the Rhône; and Fortified Wines. He is based in Bordeaux, France, from where he reviews the wines of Austria, France and Portugal.
Paul Gregutt
paulgwine@me.com
In addition to reviewing Pacific Northwest wines for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Seattle-based Contributing Editor Paul Gregutt writes on wine for the Seattle Times, the Yakima Herald-Republic, the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and the Spokane Spokesman-Review. He contributes the Pacific Northwest section to Tom Stevenson's annual Wine Report. Gregutt's book Washington Wines & Wineries: the Essential Guide is now in its fourth printing and was the top selling wine book of 2008 for the University of California Press.
My first "aha" wine moment was:
I remember sitting in a college dorm room with a group of buddies, drinking (right from the bottle) a simple German wine (a liebfraumilch as I recall) and tasting flavors beyond any beverage I had ever had. I grew up in a non-wine-drinking household, and don’t believe wine was ever served during my childhood. So college was my first opportunity to explore wine, and at the time a German wine, even a humble liebfraumilch, was a big step up from Annie Green Springs!
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
Now and forever, fresh, creamy goat cheese (crottin de Chavignol if possible) and a bright, sappy Sancerre (Pascal Cotat if possible).
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
Firm, deep, a bit brooding and mysterious, fleshy, snappy (not sappy), rich, sensual (not decadent) and screwcapped.
Monica Larner
mlarner@wineenthusiast.net
Italian Editor Monica Larner has lived in Italy on and off since age 11 and joined the Wine Enthusiast team five years ago. Based in Rome, she reviews Italian wines, writes about wine and food pairing, wine tourism and reports on the latest news from Italy's many wine regions. Her books include In Love in Italy (Rizzoli) and Living, Studying and Working in Italy (Henry Holt) and she is now writing a guide to travel in Italy in the slow lane. She is a sommelier with the Italian Association of Sommeliers. When not in Italy, she is in California, on the family-run Larner Vineyard in Santa Barbara, California.
My first "Aha" wine moment was:
My first "aha" moment came thanks to an "eew" wine: My dad and brother made wine from grapes grown on our property in a plastic bin in the barn. Every wine since then has tasted better and better, but that first glass was my initiation into a fascinating world that involves my whole family.
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
Gorgonzola piccante and Passito di Pantelleria: The combination is decadently divine and the pairing represents the best of the north and south of Italy together.
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
Prosecco: bubbly, fun, easy-going and a bit of a tease.
Lauren Buzzeo
lbuzzeo@wineenthusiast.net
Assistant Tasting Director Lauren Buzzeo joined Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2006 as Tasting Coordinator. Thanks to her father, Lauren developed an interest and love of wine at an early age which then inspired her to register for a variety of wine and hospitality classes while attending Boston University to further evolve her wine knowledge. She also worked at one of the area's most reputable beer establishments, Sunset Grill & Tap, throughout her college enrollment; it was at Sunset that Lauren developed an intense appreciation for beer and brewing. Since coming to Wine Enthusiast, Lauren has made it one of her personal missions to try and open the eyes of wine lovers of the world to some of the masterfully crafted libations that brewers have to offer. She is also currently working on obtaining her Diploma in Wines & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Erika Strum
estrum@wineenthusiast.net
Erika Strum is Internet Marketing Manager at Wine Enthusiast Companies. She first became involved in wine and technology by working in search engine optimization, completing her WSET Advanced Certification and starting her own personal blog, StrumErika.com. She is involved in all divisions of the business from an online marketing perspective through email marketing plus editing and writing for the UnReserved blogs and Winstons’ Wisdoms, the catalog blog. She also enjoys keeping on top of social media trends and democratizing wine, so that all wine lovers have a voice.
My first "Aha" wine moment was:
Growing up we always had wine at the dinner table and my dad would always speak about it passionately. But it really started to become "my" thing when I lived in Napa Valley for a summer and realized how many misconceptions there are about wine and those who drink it. I wanted to change all that so people could enjoy wine comfortably!
My favorite food and wine pairing right now is:
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc with a simple salad of grilled octopus and potatoes.
If I were a bottle of wine I would be:
A Red Alentejo: Forward and lush but with lingering complexity that emerges with greater acquaintance.
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