California Wine Advisors was created in 2000 for serious collectors seeking honest, unbiased opinions about new releases of the world’s most sought-after bottles and occasional retrospectives featuring rare library wines. Our tasting panel is composed of longtime rare wine professionals with decades of experience judging the most legendary California ‘Cult’ wines and highly prized European treasures. At CWA, we judge thousands of bottles annually; focused on luxury wines that trade for $100 – $1,000 per bottle.

Why Trust CWA?

California Wine Advisors takes a unique approach from many traditional wine publications. Unlike critics who typically review wines individually, CWA publishes ratings and tasting notes that reflect the cumulative judgment of an experienced tasting panel.

All featured wines are tasted blind and CWA does not accept wine industry advertising. This structured format is designed to keep the focus where it belongs: the quality of the wine in the glass.

Panel tasting also helps reduce the influence of any single palate. Collectors know that even respected critics have personal preferences, stylistic leanings, and occasional blind spots. By gathering impressions from a diverse panel of experienced tasters, CWA aims to provide a more balanced view of each wine’s quality, character, and collector relevance given our wide perspective.

Contact Us

Ask an Expert: For collectors, one of the unique benefits of CWA is our “Ask an Expert” service. If you would like guidance on a wine, vintage, producer, allocation, or cellar decision, you may submit a question to our tasting panel. A member of our expert panel will reply within 24–48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. Click here to ask an expert.

Submit Wines for Review: If you are a winemaker or proprietor interested in having CWA review your wine, contact us for instructions on how to submit bottles.

What Does Blind Tasting Mean?

Blind tasting means the panel evaluates wines without knowing the producer, label, or winemaker at the time of judgment.

Wines are typically poured from covered bottles or neutral serving vessels so the identity of each wine remains concealed. Tastings are conducted in a controlled office setting rather than at a picturesque winery, restaurant, or promotional event.

That distinction matters. Many collectors have experienced the allure of tasting a wine in a beautiful cellar, beside a charismatic proprietor, or during a memorable trip, only to discover later that the same wine feels less compelling at home. CWA’s blind tasting format is designed to minimize those outside influences and concentrate the panel’s attention on the wine itself: its bouquet, texture, balance, finish, and overall distinction.