Wine Explain

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory today calling for alcoholic beverages to carry cancer warnings, arguing that Americans are uneducated about potential links between alcohol and seven types of cancer. He also suggested that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines on alcohol consumption, which are currently under review, be revised. Dr. Murthy, who has served as

Researchers and wine lovers have long been interested in the potential links between moderate alcohol consumption and good health. That interest only grew in 2024. While a vocal neo-Prohibitionist movement has questioned the health benefits of any alcohol, a steady stream of new research continues to draw strong links between alcohol—especially wine—and healthy living. Beyond breaking down

Our most-popular videos of 2024 demonstrate our viewers’ insatiable interest in wine knowledge, from exclusive interviews to In The Vineyard chats with winemakers. This year Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken sat down with two iconic vintners, Angelo Gaja and Christian Moueix, for in-depth conversations, diving into the philosophies, legacies and never-before-heard stories

2025 is only moments away, but before we flip the calendar, Wine Spectator‘s editors would like to remember the wine industry pioneers, innovators and history makers we lost this year. In 2024, we said goodbye to longtime California wine industry leaders Warren Winiarski, Jan Shrem and Eleanor Coppola, as well as architect Howard Backen, who

2024 was a year of transition for the wine world, with old-guard retirements, new buyers on the scene and big names changing hands. Market shifts saw previous owners buying back their namesake businesses, an average 25 percent drop in Bordeaux futures prices, and major retailers adapting their strategies to attract younger consumers. The year also

When guests arrived at the 17th annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival’s Grand Tasting on Dec. 15, they found an even bigger and better event than last year. The culmination of a four-day culinary extravaganza, the food and wine tasting, hosted at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and presented by Wine Spectator, offered

Perhaps a daily glass of wine has been unfairly targeted. The panel of health experts tasked with studying alcohol consumption for the U.S. Dietary Guidelines has found with “moderate certainty” that people who drink alcohol in moderation have lower all-cause mortality than those who don’t drink. The report provides a strong argument that the current

Bottles of Marchesi Antinori’s super Tuscan Tignanello raised nearly $190,000 at a London auction organized by Christie’s, on Nov. 26 and 27. The bottles came straight from the Antinori cellars, giving collectors a rare chance to secure one of Italy’s most beloved wines with unbeatable provenance. The auction celebrated the 50th anniversary of the release

All eyes on Aglianico. Scientists from a cohort of Italian universities have published a study on the potential health benefits of a specially-designed pomace made from the byproducts of Campania’s flagship grape. According to their paper, Aglianico could potentially spare diabetes patients from blindness. Almost a quarter of patients with type 2 diabetes will experience

Jean-Charles Boisset and Gina Gallo-Boisset, the scions of two famous wine families, have purchased Flora Springs Winery in Napa Valley from the Komes and Garvey families, founders of the company. Though Gallo-Boisset and Boisset are industry veterans, this is the first winery collaboration by the couple. The sale includes the St. Helena winery, inventory and

Until 11:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3—Giving Tuesday—wine lovers have the chance to bid on rare bottles of Burgundy, Beaujolais, Napa Cabernet and more, all for a worthy cause. Proceeds from the auction, organized by Edouard Parinet of Château du Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais, will support Wine on Wheels, the nonprofit founded by New York City

Burgundy’s biggest name in charity auctions had an impressive year, despite a challenging vintage. On Nov. 17, the 164th Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction raised a grand total of $15.2 million to support the Hospices Civils de Beaune hospital network. This is the fourth year the event, the world’s longest-running charity wine auction, has

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