Month: June 2024

Who’s behind it: Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse is a new endeavor from celebrated French-born, Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse, who owns Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Paris, among other leading restaurants. This is Ducasse’s first restaurant in Italy, and it is located on the ninth floor of the Romeo

Restaurants are not only thriving, but reinvesting in themselves and their future, not just in the obvious ways, but also by deepening their relationships with winemakers near and far. And those bonds are reflected in their carefully assembled wine lists. For proof, take a look at our newly revealed list of more than 3,700 restaurants

A few days after winemaker Meghan Zobeck started her new job at Napa’s historic Burgess Cellars, the winery burned down in the Glass fire. With the help of owner Gaylon Lawrence and CEO Carlton McCoy, not only did Burgess bounce back, but Zobeck’s followup 2021 Cabernets are outstanding. She tells us about the NFL career that

Wine lists are a labor of love, reflecting passion at every level—from the winemakers to the sommeliers to the restaurant owners. Hard work goes into curating wine selections that align with the restaurant’s cuisine, pricing and atmosphere, as well as the desires of all its customers. It takes a special level of dedication for a

Washington’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates continues to divest itself of wineries and brands. Wine Spectator has learned that Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori has purchased sole ownership of Col Solare, a premium Washington winery the two companies launched as a 50-50 partnership in 1995. The sale includes the brand, a winery and 29 acres of vines. The

Terry Robards, a longtime reporter and wine writer for The New York Times who later served as a columnist for Wine Spectator, died last month at the age of 84. The cause was heart failure. Robards wrote his best-known works between the 1960s and 1980s, at a time when many Americans were just discovering wine.

Stoked by warm temperatures and windy conditions, several wildfires broke out in California over the weekend, including one in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, northwest of Healdsburg. The Point Fire ignited on the eastern shores of Lake Sonoma the afternoon of June 16 and quickly spread, nearing wineries and vineyards along West Dry Creek Road. As

Who’s behind it: Catch Miami Beach is the eighth restaurant from Catch Hospitality Group and co-owners Tilman Fertitta (the owner of hospitality leader Landry’s, Inc.), Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm. It joins Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning Catch locations in Las Vegas and New York, as well as Catch Steak locations in New York, Aspen, Colo.,

Where can you find more than 250 of the world’s greatest winemakers, plus some of the titans of fine dining, all in one place for an entire weekend? Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience is returning to Times Square Oct. 17-19, and tickets are now on sale for weekend packages that offer wine lovers 3

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits chairman Harvey Chaplin, a self-made entrepreneur who turned a modest Florida spirits and wine distributorship into a national, multibillion-dollar powerhouse, passed away Sunday, June 9, of natural causes at the age of 95. “Harvey was undoubtedly one of the great pioneers and visionaries in our industry,” said Marvin R. Shanken,

Winemaker Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and owner of Arcadia Vineyards, has died at the age of 96. In 1970, Winiarski purchased a 50-acre fruit orchard and ranch in Napa Valley and began planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He started making wine from those plantings, along with some existing Petite Sirah vines,

Anglophiles, royal watchers and Port lovers have a rare chance to add some delicious pieces of British vinous history to their cellars. From now until June 20, Christie’s in London is holding an online auction featuring Bordeaux with royal ties, Vintage Port from the cellars of a 14th-century castle and more. The auction includes six bottles of

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association held the latest iteration of the Collective Napa Valley Auction Weekend from May 31 to June 1. The evolving series of festive events raised $4.8 million, including a revamped live auction that brought in $2.4 million, and the proceeds will support youth mental health programs in Napa County.

For seven generations, the Pasquero-Elia family has made wine for their Paitin label in Barbaresco. They’ve also acted as stewards of the Serraboella vineyard, a menzioni geografiche aggiuntiva (MGA), or designated vineyard, making intense, long-lived Nebbiolos from their Sorì Paitin parcel. This year they will release wines from outside Barbaresco for the first time thanks to

One of Burgundy’s power players has bought an iconic name in California Pinot Noir. Four years after acquiring a minority stake, Domaine Faiveley has purchased a majority share of Williams Selyem, the Sonoma-based winery founded by Burt Williams and Ed Selyem in 1979. The sale includes the brand, inventory, winery and more than 135 acres

Canned wine is the fastest-growing segment of new wine container innovations on the market, with their lightweight convenience, creative designs and recyclability all appealing to younger consumers. Sales are especially strong in spring and summer, when outdoor social events favor easily accessible, single-serving vessels over the classic glass bottle. But as canned wine becomes increasingly