MCCOY, ELIN

Elin McCoy

Former Freelance

Latest

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0326

High-Altitude Wines Offer Romance, Incredible Terroir All in One

New vintages to try from Tibet to Argentina. Plus: vineyard side hustles in beer and coffee

March 26, 2026

March 26, 2026

High-Altitude Wines Offer Romance, Incredible Terroir All in One

New vintages to try from Tibet to Argentina. Plus: vineyard side hustles in beer and coffee

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0326

February 26, 2026

February 26, 2026

What’s Behind Cabernet’s Never-Ending Appeal?

White wine may be on the ascent, but the benchmark red is keeping its wine world crown. Plus: Wine country marathons.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0226

January 22, 2026

January 22, 2026

White Wine’s Trendiest Style Can Still Be a Value Buy

Seeking Sancerre? As prices shoot up our wine critic offers some top-quality taste-alikes. Plus: 2023 Bordeaux and a can’t miss TV show

PURSUITS_WEB_NL 0123

January 13, 2026

January 13, 2026

Natural Wine Has Changed How the World Drinks

Once a scrappy rebellion against industrial winemaking, natural wine has gone global, reshaping taste, farming and even the meaning of “good” wine.

PURSUITS_WEB_Natural Wine

December 31, 2025

December 31, 2025

How the Wine World Is Set to Change in 2026

An informality and sense of adventure is taking over. Plus, bubbles!

PURSUITS_WEB_TOP SHELF 1231

December 18, 2025

December 18, 2025

The Year’s Best Wines Include a $30 Chinese Red and a $2,500 Port

Taste is only part of what makes a wine unforgettable.

PURSUITS_WEB_BEST WINES 2025

December 15, 2025

December 15, 2025

The 50 Best Wines Under $50 From Our Critic, Who Tasted 2,874

Our annual value-forward, globe-trotting list is the ultimate wine buying guide showcasing the top new bottles of the year.

PURSUITS_WEB_50 Bottles under 50 2025

November 26, 2025

November 26, 2025

The Secret Behind These Stellar California Cabernets

The story behind Vine Hill Ranch, a third-generation Napa vineyard, and five bottlings from its grapes to consider.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 1125

November 11, 2025

November 11, 2025

2025 Is Turning Out to Be a Great Year for Wine

Although with a few exceptions, harvest yields reveal there won’t be as much of it from the world’s top wine regions

PURSUITS_WEB_Ornellaia

October 24, 2025

October 24, 2025

So, You Want to Be a Wine Critic?

It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Fine wine news and trends during the nonstop Wine Experience in New York.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 1023

October 1, 2025

October 1, 2025

Nonalcoholic Wines That Are Worth a Second Glass

Whether you’re doing Sober October or cutting back in general, our wine critic tasted almost 60 zero-proof, no-alcohol wines and found the best to buy now.

PURSUITS_WEB_NA Wines

September 26, 2025

September 26, 2025

What It’s Really Like to a Work Wine Harvest

From picking grapes to doing fermentation punch downs, you too can be part of the crew. Here’s how

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0925

September 13, 2025

September 13, 2025

Why Chianti Classico Wine Deserves More Respect

A more granular approach to terroir—and the best vintage in years—reveals undervalued heavy-hitters in one of Italy’s best-known wine regions.

PURSUITS_WEB_Chianti

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

Why Finger Lakes Wine Should Be on Your Radar

Rieslings rule, but there’s plenty of delicious sparkling wines and bistro reds to be had in New York’s premier wine region.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0828

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Where Wine Lovers Should Travel Next

Sonoma, Chile, France—and Michigan? Our critic shares her favorite travel spots and a great new Italian white to seek out.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0731

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Red, Orange, White and Chilled: The 13 Best Wines for Summer

And of course, we’ve got rosé picks and a top bubbly, too.

PURSUITS_WEB_TOP SHELF 0703

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

How to Invest in Fine Wines: A Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide

Strategies to build a wine portfolio that could make you money and give you something delicious to drink.

pursuits-wine-lede

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025

Billionaire Bill Koch on Collecting Wine, Avoiding Counterfeits

Industrialist Bill Koch talks exclusively with Top Shelf ahead of his cellar auction at Christie’s. Plus: A unique American rosé for summer.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0605

May 13, 2025

May 13, 2025

Can You Build a Great Wine Cellar Using Only American Bottles?

Bloomberg’s wine critic takes the question posed by Donald Trump’s tariffs to its extreme conclusion.

PURSUITS_WEB_AMERICAN WINE

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

The Problematic Future of Bordeaux’s Wine Futures

Plus: Napa vineyards trade the tasting room for the tasting dinner, and an incredible new $250 cabernet.

PURSUITS_WEB_Top Shelf 0508