Several years ago, when I worked at Wine Spectator magazine, a story in a New York tabloid caused some unsettling times in our offices.

FORBES: Top 100 #Fail?

Toward the end of the workday yesterday, I sent an instant message to a former colleague of mine at Wine Spectator magazine, where I worked for three years.

FORBES: Do Wine Scores Matter? James Suckling's retirement from Wine Spectator will tell us for certain.

As an editor at Wine Spectator magazine at the time of the Salahis' party, I was contacted by a zealous publicist for the couple, desperate to have me write about it--particularly the grand denouement, in which several UPS deliverymen took the stage to deliver Mr. Salahi some wine.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Media outlets of all kinds have shed staff over the past two years, and Wine Spectator magazine, a niche publication for the well-heeled, is no exception. (Full disclosure: I worked there for about three years.) One of the most stunning eliminations from the masthead, about a year ago, was that of former editor Dan Sogg.

FORBES: Fixing The Game?

Last summer, I wrote this blog post about former Wine Spectator senior editor James Suckling, his departure from the magazine, and whether wine ratings would ever again matter.

FORBES: Too Critical