In the early 2000s, when my aspirations to own wine began to move beyond the small rack of a dozen bottles in my kitchen, a winemaker friend of mine suggested I explore the offerings of Premier Cru. A cold, nondescript wine store in the town of Emeryville across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, Premier Cru was known for having a great selection of French and Italian wines. In 2011 it relocated to Berkeley but still what it lacked in charm or customer service, it made up for with great prices, often as much as 30% lower than the best...
Premier Cru, Premier Fraud?
Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 296,928 wine reviews & 16,140 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
Everything in “Member”, plus:
- Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
- Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 296,928 wine reviews & 16,140 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
Everything in “Professional”, plus:
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
- Access to submit wines for review
- Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
- API access available for an additional fee
More Alder on America
Alder on America
This new AVA delivers on cool-climate wines – and excellent value for money. Above, the Derbyshire Vineyard, the Pacific Ocean...
Alder on America
A little corner of Germany and Austria in Lodi (photo of Mokelumne Glen Vineyard by Randy Caparoso).
Psychologists analysing paratroopers...
Alder on America
US wine labelling rules look set to follow those in the EU – at some point. Alder examines the complicated...
Alder on America
The US wine industry eyes up the prospect of a recession (although at least they have a nice strong currency)...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Book reviews
Three additions to the Classic Wine Library plus a self-published guide to Portuguese wine. Three of the reviews below are...
Tasting articles
A revealing vertical that traces the evolution of South Africa’s most sought-after white. The wines were shown by UK importer...
Tasting articles
A quarter-century of wines from a legendary Bordeaux estate. See also this guide to our bordeaux verticals . Although Château...
Free for all
Jancis remembers the most charming wine producer she has ever met. Above, Neill in his Two Paddocks vineyard. The worlds...
Free for all
After a first round of judging, we’re delighted to begin publishing the best of this year’s writing competition entries. All...
Free for all
Extraordinary seafood and the magic of a good pairing at The Rocket Store. Boscastle harbour is pictured above. The restaurant...
Free for all
How is the work of the ISVV transmitted to the châteaux? And how has it affected the wines? Plus, highlights...
Bite-sized
Umami junkies, head east for jaw-achingly tasty fusion and a Honshu sour. Having garnered itself quite a reputation for clever...