The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Welcome, Linda Murphy of California

• 1 min read
Image

I have long been conscious that although a very significant proportion of visitors to www.jancisrobinson.com are American, our coverage of West Coast wines and events is pretty sporadic, not to say flimsy. I’m therefore delighted to announce that the very talented, energetic Linda Murphy has joined our editorial team.

Linda writes on wine from her base in Healdsburg, California, in the heart of Sonoma County and just a short hop from Napa Valley. She recently left The San Francisco Chronicle as editor of its much admired wine section where she won two James Beard Awards (2004 and 2006) for best newspaper food/wine section.

Linda is a proper journalist, unlike me, with sport her original speciality. She may have won a couple of Beards but her real claim to fame is that she was the second woman in the US to gain access to a major-league baseball locker room, when she was a sportswriter for The San Diego Union.

Now that she has incontrovertibly switched from sweaty socks to sweaty saddles, she will continue to contribute to The Chronicle and other wine publications. She has recently been appointed West Coast correspondent for Decanter magazine, judges several wine competitions a year and is a speaker at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and the Vintners’ Holidays in Yosemite, among others.

She reports that she drinks much better now than during her beer-and-a-shot sports days, and meets much nicer people.

You may wonder why, for the moment, the entire jancisrobinson.com team is female. I can assure you that this is pure coincidence.

Choose your plan
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 296,866 wine reviews & 16,131 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 296,866 wine reviews & 16,131 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
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Free for all

Ch Langoa Barton chai in May 2025
Free for all How is the work of the ISVV transmitted to the châteaux? And how has it affected the wines? Plus, highlights...
Emptied plates and glasses after a meal by Jason Lowe
Free for all The joy of a roadside diner, by Charlie Geoghegan. Photo by Jason Lowe. There’s this old building by the side...
Opus One winery
Free for all The first transatlantic joint venture Opus One involved icons of 20th century wine. A version of this article is published...
Old Vine Registry new seal 100+ years two versions
Free for all Breaking news! The Old Vine Registry is breaking records, barriers and new ground. And now, The Old Vine Registry seal...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Wanton at XO Kitchen
Bite-sized Umami junkies, head east for jaw-achingly tasty fusion and a Honshu sour. Having garnered itself quite a reputation for clever...
chickens in the HJW vineyard at Hermann J Wiemer, Seneca Lake
Wines of the week The dry white wine that established New York’s Finger Lakes as the Riesling mecca of the US. And it’s only...
Harvest at Robert Weil by Peter Quirin.jpg
Tasting articles A year of extraordinary balance, bright acidity and some of the best Gutsweine in recent memory. Plus a whole lot...
cheddars, apples and fruity red wine
Inside information Real cheddar for real wine. By some small miracle I manage to locate the one with four functioning wheels. My...
Monty on the beach at Betty’s Bay, near Hemel-en Aarde
Tasting articles Coolness and light in bottles from some of South Africa’s best producers. Above, Monty enjoys the cool surf in Betty’s...
Chris Keets (left) and Banele Vanele (right)
Tasting articles Proof that South Africa remains one of the most rewarding countries for wine. Above, Chris Keets (left) of Weather Report...
Lasseter Trinity Ridge Vineyard - Michael Housewright photography
Tasting articles The combination of historic vineyards, high elevation, volcanic soils and organic viticulture make this little-known AVA stand out. Above, Lasseter...
Cotta vineyard
Tasting articles Temptingly fresh and approachable wines from a heatwave year. Sottimano produced one of the most ageworthy wines of the vintage...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.