Wine Spectator’s Napa Bureau Expands with New Roles and Responsibilities

America’s west coast wineries are continuously evolving, and Wine Spectator is enhancing its Napa bureau to effectively reflect this progression. Editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken has announced a significant expanded role for James Molesworth, a seasoned editor with the publication.

Molesworth, who joined Wine Spectator in 1997 as a tasting coordinator and became senior editor in 2004, will now serve as the Napa editorial director and Napa tasting director. He has also held the position of special projects director since 2022, managing the podcast Straight Talk with Wine Spectator. Molesworth is recognized as the lead taster for California Cabernet and Pinot Noir, along with France’s Bordeaux and Port regions. His new responsibilities will enhance his ability to coordinate editorial coverage and manage tasting beats for the Napa bureau.

Reflecting on his journey, Molesworth said, “Since being assigned my first coverage beat in California in 2018, it’s been an invigorating challenge. These additional responsibilities will allow me to help to shape our coverage even more directly as our editorial team continues to educate and entertain our readers with the best wine coverage available anywhere.”

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