Wine Explain

It was an auction lot so good, it sold three times. Lot number five at the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s Carnivale du Vin on Nov. 16 was “Chef Charlie Trotter’s Legacy,” starring a bottle of Château Margaux 1900 from Trotter’s personal collection, donated by his widow, Rochelle. Trotter had said if he ever planned a last

We’re wrapping up season 2 of Wine Spectator‘s Straight Talk podcast by counting down the Top 10 Wines of 2024 with senior editor and host James Molesworth. But before James reveals this year’s 10 most exciting wines, including Wine Spectator‘s 2024 Wine of the Year, we’re taking a look at the economic state of the

Sometimes even the world’s best-known chefs need to return to their roots, and that includes Emeril Lagasse. The chef’s latest endeavor, 34 Restaurant & Bar, opened in New Orleans’ Warehouse District last month near his Grand Award–winning flagship Emeril’s, the restaurant that solidified Lagasse’s place as an icon of Creole cooking. But this new restaurant

The alleged mastermind of a multi-million dollar wine counterfeiting gang was conducting a transaction with a shady printer at Milan’s Malpensa airport when the Italian Carabinieri moved in and arrested him on Sept. 26. At the exact same moment in multiple locations in France and Italy, various law enforcement officers launched raids and arrested five

When Charlie Trotter was asked what his last meal would be, he was a bit vague on the food. But he was highly specific on the wine. As he told author and photographer Melanie Dunea for her book My Last Supper, “I would eat many courses of tiny, raw and delicate seafood. The china plates

The California wine industry is in the doldrums as it faces three challenges at once: consumer spending on wine is declining, inventory is backed up in the sales pipeline and there’s a glut of grapes and bulk wine left over from the 2024 harvest. The last hazard, the oversupply of grapes, poses an immediate threat. Many

Suzanne Deal Booth, owner of the historic Bella Oaks Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Rutherford appellation, has finalized a deal to purchase the Wheeler Farms winery facility from the Araujo family, Wine Spectator has learned. Wheeler Farms has a high-profile list of custom crush clients, including Booth’s own Bella Oaks label. Other wines made at the

Should wineries in California, Oregon and other states be able to sell wines directly to Iowa retailers, bypassing wholesalers? Yes, according to a Sept. 30 federal court decision. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled it was unconstitutional for Iowa to allow in-state wineries to sell directly to Hawkeye State retailers while preventing out-of-state wineries

Jan Shrem, who left an indelible mark on California’s wine industry through his dedication to the arts and charitable generosity, died last month at the age of 94. The founder of Clos Pegase winery in Calistoga, Shrem was also a consummate philanthropist, contributing to The MET Opera, Festival Napa Valley, the San Francisco Museum of

Who’s behind it: Time and Tide is the latest Manhattan restaurant from Kent Hospitality Group. The opening comes after a challenging time for the group: This past June, its founder, chef Jamal “James” Kent, died unexpectedly at age 45, a tragedy felt throughout American fine dining. The group subsequently changed its name from Saga Hospitality

Burgundy is the type of wine region that invites delight, fascination and even obsession. Now, Burgundy fans have the chance to buy their very own piece of wine history. On November 12, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) will conduct an auction of retired appellation signs. The signs, which until recently adorned the roadsides and vineyards

When Jeffery Lindenmuth took the stage on the first morning of the 2024 New York Wine Experience, the executive editor of Wine Spectator looked out on a crowd of more than 1,000 people—but they might as well have been family. “When I arrived at the hotel last night, I was riding the elevator with a

It’s a story straight out of a Hollywood film. A young prince leaves home to find himself, studies in the U.S., meets a girl, falls in love and becomes a screenwriter for the movies. But his family needs him back in Europe. So he returns to find fulfillment in the vineyards. It sounds cinematic, but

Giovanni Manetti didn’t think he was going to make it to the 2024 New York Wine Experience. The growing season was long in Tuscany this year, and grapes for Manetti’s legendary Fontodi winery were still hanging on the vine in mid-October. So he dispatched his son with several cases of their super Tuscan Flaccianello 2008

Leading chef and humanitarian José Andrés is always working. But if he chooses to rest, at least he’ll have a new place to do so once he opens his first hotel, the Bazaar House, in the heart of the Georgetown historic district in Washington, D.C. Announced in late September, the boutique hotel will open in

This winter, Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the New York Marriott Marquis hotel are putting a new spin on the View Restaurant & Lounge, New York City’s only revolving restaurant. The original View opened in 1985 atop the Times Square hotel—a popular spot for tourists and large events, including Wine Spectator’s annual New York

The 2024 harvest at Israel’s Daltôn Winery was punctuated by nonstop rocket and drone attacks launched from just across the border in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon. As tractors rolled through the vineyards at night, collecting the last of the Cabernet grapes, the sky was lit up by the glow of exploding rockets and the resulting wildfires

Five years after going public, Duckhorn will be leaving the stock exchange. Executives at the Duckhorn Portfolio announced this morning that Los Angeles-based private equity firm Butterfly has agreed to buy the Napa-based wine powerhouse for $1.95 billion. According to Impact Databank, a sibling publication of Wine Spectator, Duckhorn is the 20th-largest wine marketer in the

A Los Angeles return: After a four-year hiatus, acclaimed restaurant Somni is reopening in West Hollywood, Calif. Somni (meaning “dream” in Catalan) was founded by chef Aitor Zabala and culinary leader and humanitarian José Andrés in 2018; despite being limited to just 10 guests each service, the restaurant rapidly grew in popularity. It also earned

When the final paddle was raised at the newly christened Sonoma County Wine Celebration and live auction last month, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) had raised nearly $1.6 million for local charities. That’s up from last year’s $1.3 million total. The three-day event, which included a welcome reception and country-themed party, culminated with the