OUR CRITICS
Joshua Greene
Editor and Publisher of Wine & Spirits since 1986, Joshua Greene began drinking wine with meals during a summer in Galicia, Spain, at the age of 13. In later years, he worked in wine shops in western Massachusetts and served as wine captain at Wheatleigh, a small inn in Lenox. After graduating from Princeton University in 1981, Greene pursued a career in magazines, focusing on the management of special-interest publications. His work with Wine & Spirits began on a consulting basis, eventually leading to his purchase of the magazine in 1989.
Greene has traveled extensively in the wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and all the major wine regions of the United States. In addition to his duties as editor and publisher, Greene serves as the critic for northern California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Portugal, Rioja, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. He also writes feature stories and commentary for each issue of the magazine.
Tara Q. Thomas
Since Tara Q. Thomas joined Wine & Spirits in 1997, she's traveled the wine world from Argentina to Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy and North America. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, with more than 20 years of experience in the food and wine world, Tara puts her culinary knowledge to use as a writer on food and wine and as W&S's resident food maven and editor of Cityscene. In her role as W&S critic, Tara specializes in the wines of Greece, having lived and cooked in Athens, and also covers the wines of Southern France and Eastern Europe. Outside of W&S, Tara has authored two books, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine Basics (now in its second edition) and The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Wine, and serves as the wine critic for the Denver Post.
Patrick Comiskey
A former sommelier, Patrick J. Comiskey serves as the W&S critic for all domestic wines outside of California–including New York, Oregon and Washington–and contributes articles on the wines and viticulture of these areas. His wine travels include regular visits to US wine regions, as well as trips to France, Italy, Germany and Australia. Comiskey’s writing credentials include contributions to the San Francisco Chronicle's wine section, the Los Angeles Times, Bon Appétit and the Robb Report, in addition to educational materials for selected restaurants and websites. He also teaches classes and moderates panels on viticulture, wine tasting and various wine regions.
Peter Liem
Peter Liem developed an interest in wine while backpacking in Europe as a teenager. In his years as a wine professional, Liem has worked in nearly all aspects of the industry. Following his start in prominent retail stores in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, Liem worked in importing and distribution. In 2000, he began writing about wine as co-publisher and tasting director of the Riesling Report, an online magazine dedicated to the riesling grape and its producers. He joined the staff of W&S in 2004, where he served as senior editor and tasting director until the end of 2006, when he took up permanent residence in Champagne. Since then, Liem has continued in his role as W&S critic, reviewing the wines of Alsace, Austria, Germany and the Loire Valley, and writing a special column for each issue. In 2009, Liem launched ChampagneGuide.net, a comprehensive guide to the wines, region and people of Champagne.
Patricio Tapia
After graduating with a degree in journalism from the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, Patricio Tapia attended Bordeaux University in France, where he studied for a diploma in wine tasting and winemaking. Since then, he has visited wine regions around the world and authored several books, including his annual Descorchados, a Chilean wine guide; The Wines of Colchagua Valley; TodoVino; and Wines for Great Occasions. Tapia is also the South American correspondent for The Oxford Companion to Wine, The World Atlas of Wine and Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Book. For the past three years, he's been a host on the El Gourmet channel in South America. At Wine & Spirits, Tapia is the critic for the wines of Argentina, Chile and Spain, and regularly contributes articles on these regions.