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| Stephen Tanzer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stephen Tanzer |
| Birth date | 1947 |
| Death date | 2018 |
| Occupation | Wine critic, editor, writer |
| Known for | International Wine Cellar |
Stephen Tanzer
Stephen Tanzer was an American wine critic, editor, and writer known for founding the wine publication International Wine Cellar and for his tasting notes, scoring, and influence on contemporary wine criticism. He worked across wine regions and markets, engaging with producers, importers, sommeliers, and collectors in North America, Europe, and beyond. His career intersected with key figures and institutions in the wine world, shaping critical standards and market dynamics.
Tanzer was born in 1947 and raised in the United States, where his formative years connected him to cultural centers and institutions that shaped his interests in culinary arts and viniculture. He studied in academic environments that put him in contact with patrons of the arts and literature, and he developed early relationships with journalists, editors, and personalities active in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Boston. Influences on his outlook included encounters with figures linked to France, Italy, Spain, and California wine communities, as well as exposure to publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wine Spectator.
Tanzer began his professional trajectory in publishing and journalism before focusing on wine writing and editorial work. He collaborated with magazines, newspapers, and specialty journals, interacting with editors from Gourmet (magazine), Bon Appétit, and regional food and beverage periodicals. In the 1970s and 1980s his career intersected with personalities and organizations such as Michelin Guide, Decanter (magazine), and wine merchants operating between Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont, and Ribera del Duero.
In 1985 he launched a subscription-based publication that would become a touchstone for collectors, importers, and restaurateurs. Throughout his career he maintained professional relationships with importers, auction houses, and distribution networks including contacts associated with Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Zachys, and boutique importers in the United States and Canada. He also participated in tasting panels alongside critics and consultants from institutions such as Institute of Masters of Wine, Court of Master Sommeliers, and various academic departments at universities with viticulture programs.
Tanzer founded and edited the International Wine Cellar, which published tasting notes, scores, and comparative reports on vintages, estates, and appellations. His tasting method emphasized blind tasting protocols, structured scoring, and attention to terroir, vintages, and cellar potential—approaches shared in practice with critics from Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson, Allen Meadows, and Antonio Galloni. International Wine Cellar covered regions including Bordeaux wine, Burgundy wine, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Tuscany, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Rioja, Rhone Valley, California wine, Oregon wine, Washington (state), Napa Valley, and emerging areas such as Mendoza (Argentina), Stellenbosch, Mosel, and Loire Valley.
His reviews appeared in print and later in digital formats, influencing buying patterns among collectors, retailers, and restaurant buyers. Tanzer’s scores and tasting notes were referenced by sommeliers, wine merchants, and auctioneers, alongside analyses in trade publications such as Wine Spectator, Decanter (magazine), The Wine Advocate, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. He authored comparative reports on vintages that juxtaposed producers from famous estates like those in Château Margaux, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château Lafite Rothschild, Sassicaia, Gaja, and leading New World producers.
Over his career Tanzer received recognition from wine societies, industry groups, and media outlets for editorial excellence and influence. He was acknowledged by trade organizations and was invited to serve as a judge or panelist at events and competitions associated with institutions such as Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Decanter World Wine Awards, and regional competitions in Argentina and South Africa. His peers in wine criticism—editors and critics from Wine & Spirits (magazine), Wine Enthusiast, La Revue du vin de France, and other publications—cited his contributions to tasting standards and market transparency.
Tanzer maintained a life that connected professional commitments with familial and social networks across cultural centers. He lived and worked between major metropolitan areas, collaborating with colleagues in cities like New York City, San Francisco, and Paris. Social and professional circles included importers, restaurateurs, chefs, and writers from institutions such as James Beard Foundation and prominent culinary schools. He balanced travel for tastings with editorial timelines and relationships with publishers and subscribers.
Tanzer’s legacy includes the influence of International Wine Cellar on tasting methodology, vintage assessment, and the secondary market. His approach contributed to the vocabulary and metrics used by collectors, auction houses, and retailers, and his tasting archives have been used as comparative resources by academics and market analysts studying trends in regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, Napa Valley, and Rhone Valley. Colleagues and successors in wine criticism have cited his role in shaping critical standards alongside figures associated with The Wine Advocate, Jancis Robinson, and other prominent critics and publications.
Category:American wine critics Category:1947 births Category:2018 deaths