Wine

In April 2022, Sonoma-based antiquarian bookseller Ben Kinmont oversaw the sale of the Thackrey Library, a valuable collection of more than 700 tomes and documents assembled by California winemaker Sean Thackrey. Sadly, Thackrey passed away shortly after the collection sold for $2 million to an undisclosed buyer. It was revealed this month that the buyer

Is the 2022 Bordeaux hype for real? Straight Talk podcast host James Molesworth just returned from the Médoc, where he tasted hundreds of these young wines; don’t miss his take on this highly regarded new vintage. Plus, senior editor for news Mitch Frank introduces us to Auberge Resorts Collection CEO Craig Reid, and legendary California and

The Loire Valley lost one of its more influential and iconic winemakers with the passing of Jacky Blot on May 15 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 75. Widely credited with uplifting the reputation of Montlouis and the entire Loire Valley, Blot crafted some of the French region’s most concentrated and complex Chenin

The 2023 vintage will go down as one of the most tempestuous in Argentina and Chile’s modern eras. For Argentina, the year brought widespread hailstorms, followed by a sweltering summer and then some frost near harvest time for good measure. In Chile, much of the country weathered the same summer heat, but a few regions

France has come to Florida—by way of New York—at the new Pastis, which opened in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood on April 30. A sibling of Starr Restaurants’ Pastis in Manhattan (a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner), the bistro joins an impressive group of eateries from leading East Coast restaurateur Stephen Starr, including Restaurant Award winners

Some of the biggest names in wine are making a splash this month. Bordeaux’s top châteaus have begun releasing futures of their 2022 wines, giving wine lovers and collectors their first chance to grab hold of what is looking like the best vintage in several years. But is anyone buying? The en primeur system allows

Marchesi Antinori is solidifying its foothold in Napa Valley, buying complete control of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. The two companies announced today that Antinori, which has been a minority partner at the iconic Napa winery since Ste. Michelle purchased it from founder Warren Winiarksi in 2007, is buying Ste. Michelle’s

An auction of wines straight from the cellars of Masseto, the renowned single-vineyard Merlot from Bolgheri, brought in impressive numbers at Sotheby’s. The grand sum of just over $400,000 was almost double the pre-auction estimate of $220,000. Topping the 46 lots was a 15-liter bottle of the 2010 vintage (one of only 20 nebuchadnezzars the

Chicagoans can now get a taste of Napa Valley without leaving the city. The Oakville Grill & Cellar—a partnership between wine director Richard Hanauer, chef Maxwell Robbins and restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You—debuted April 24 in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. The restaurant’s menu revolves around the team’s partnerships with farms, ranches and wineries throughout California

For many people, coffee is one of life’s greatest pleasures—not to mention an energy boost. Recent studies have linked coffee to longer life and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, among other potential health benefits. Yet for decades, conflicting research has suggested that coffee may lead to cardiovascular issues, particularly a type of dangerous irregular heartbeat

A new study by Spanish researchers has found fresh evidence that following the Mediterranean diet, including wine in moderation, can lead to better heart health. The research is notable because it examines how our bodies metabolize the polyphenols found in foods and wine in the diet, and how those polyphenols could be working to help

There’s a new restaurant on the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles. Actually, that’s an understatement: The floor has multiple new restaurants. Earlier this year, chef Kevin Luzande—formerly of Acre Restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico—debuted Sendero, a project encompassing four culinary concepts. These join a global portfolio of impressive restaurants in the Ritz-Carlton

Wine Spectator kicked off this year’s three-city Grand Tour at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., on April 15. More than 1,000 attendees swirled and tasted 230-plus outstanding wines, each one reviewed at 90 points or higher. Numerous winery owners and winemakers were on hand to pour for the thirsty crowd

Michel Reybier, the billionaire hotelier and owner of St.-Estèphe second-growth Château Cos-d’Estournel, has purchased neighboring winery Château Cos Labory. Reybier finalized a deal a few weeks ago, purchasing the fifth-growth from the Audoy family for an undisclosed sum. The deal expands Reybier’s growing wine empire and his presence in St.-Estèphe. Cos Labory, which has a

For decades, researchers have tried to answer two seemingly simple questions: Is moderate alcohol consumption harmful? And does it provide any health benefits? A new study claims the answer to both questions is “No.” The researchers found that men who drank up to 45 grams of alcohol a day (around three glasses of wine) and

Burgundy’s legendary Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti joins the latest episode of Straight Talk for an exclusive rare interview covering his auction-darling Pinot Noirs, his first encounter with Robert Mondavi, and his role in the controversial 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. Southern France wine star Gérard Bertrand, the subject of our May issue

From flat bottles to plastic-free packaging and lighter containers, companies across the globe are working on ways to reduce the wine industry’s ecological footprint. Recently, an Australian wine company has thrown its hat into the ring with label-free—meaning paper- and ink-free—bottles. This year, Fourth Wave Wine launched its new, sustainability-focused brand, Crate, created with branding

Michael Mina has had a busy year so far. Fresh from revamping his Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence–winning Stripsteak in Las Vegas, the chef-restaurateur unveiled a new Italian restaurant, Sorelle, in Charleston, S.C., in February. A collaboration with Charleston’s Beemok Hospitality Collection, Sorelle is Mina’s first South Carolina establishment and joins an acclaimed

One of Italian wine’s signature events—OperaWine: Finest Italian Wines—returned with a roar on April 1 in Verona, attracting close to 2,500 global wine professionals for a tasting of some of Italy’s great and historic wines. Developed by Wine Spectator in partnership with Vinitaly and Veronafiere, OperaWine comes on the eve of Verona’s massive four-day annual

Dick Erath, a pioneering winemaker and grower who helped lay the foundation for today’s thriving Willamette Valley wine industry, died March 29. He was 87. Erath had been in ill health in recent months and passed away in Vancouver, Wash., where he lived for many years. Erath was among a small group of like-minded wine