It’s been a long time coming, but E.&J. Gallo has closed its acquisition of more than 30 wine brands and five wineries from Constellation Brands. The final price was approximately $810 million, consisting of approximately $560 million in cash paid at closing and up to $250 million in earnouts if brand performance targets are met
Wine
The U.S. government has opted not to redefine moderate drinking. On Dec. 29, the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. While there were some changes, the guidelines left the federal recommendations on alcohol—that women drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day and men
The pain of 2020 has not ended with the new year for South African vintners. The nation’s government has instituted another ban on domestic alcohol sales, in hopes of reducing alcohol-related hospital visits at a time when COVID-19 cases are surging and a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus has arrived. That has winemakers
In 2008, Bordeaux carried out the first Carbon Assessment of the industry, finding that it produced 840,000 tonnes equivalent CO2 from three main sources; inputs (plastic, glass, winemaking products, etc.), transport and energy. The following carbon assessment in 2013, showed progress; a 9% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the five years to 770,000 tonnes
What are Americans drinking? The U.S. wine market continues to grow, defying predictions of decline. But not all wines are enjoying better times, and this year’s pandemic and economic upheaval are only making things more challenging. The latest report from Impact Databank, a sibling publication of Wine Spectator, shows a complex market, with strong growth
We may never have looked forward to a new year as much as we do to 2021, but before we close the book on 2020, Wine Spectator‘s editors would like to remember the wine and restaurant industry pioneers, standard-bearers and loved ones we lost this year, some of them to the COVID-19 pandemic. We lost
The past 12 months have been a year to remember … and one almost everyone would like to forget. A global pandemic killed more than 1.76 million people and shut down multiple nations, often more than once. The restaurant and travel industries were particularly devastated and have yet to recover; in the United States, more
As we look back at the best of 2020, we’re showcasing the videos that helped us pass the time through the worst of the crisis. Whether it was having fun with the creative contributors to our “Wine at Home”–themed video contest, cooking new meals, tagging along with a famous California chef or learning more about
New research suggests that wine and cheese are not only a perfect pairing but could also lower your risk of developing cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s. The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease leads to the deterioration of brain functions that affect memory and the ability to perform daily tasks. According to the Alzheimer’s Association,
For Mary J. Blige, getting into the wine game was a labor of love. The nine-time Grammy winner and Academy Award nominee launched her Sun Goddess label earlier this year, which includes a Pinot Grigio made with skin-contact and a Sauvignon Blanc, both from from Italy’s Friuli region. In the latest episode of Straight Talk
Heitz Cellar owner Gaylon Lawrence Jr. and CEO Carlton McCoy Jr. are not slowing down in their quest to acquire and preserve some of Napa’s most treasured wine estates. Three months after purchasing Burgess Cellars, the duo announced today the acquisition of Stony Hill Vineyard, located in Napa’s Spring Mountain District. The purchase price was
On Aug. 4, just after 6 p.m., Johnny Saadé and his sons Sandro and Karim were meeting in his office on the eighth floor of a building on Pasteur Street in the Gemmayzeh neighborhood of Beirut. The family of vintners owns two wine estates—the 148-acre Chateau Marsyas in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley and the 30-acre Bargylus
New York City’s historic ‘21’ Club has closed indefinitely, after initially closing temporarily in March in response to the pandemic. Opened in 1930, the restaurant was not only a landmark of Midtown Manhattan dining but also a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner since 2003. “In light of the ongoing global crisis and anticipated extended recovery
New Year’s Eve Dinner Chandon Winery (www.chandon.com.ar) will offer for the first time an exclusive dinner to say goodbye to 2020 at the highest level. In San Rafael, at the southern part of Mendoza, Ibarra Boutique Winery will end the year with a themed dinner called ‘White and Wine Fest’ on December 31st, the dress
An interesting combination of culinary symbols, historical events and great wines of its territory can be discovered on Verona traditional Christmas tables. In Verona great care has been vested in creating first courses tied to the land and local ingredients. Vialone Nano Veronese PGI, a rice cultivated in the surrounding plains, is the perfect base
Dream now, visit virtually. Videos on chateaux websites offer a mixture of dreamy vineyard landscapes transporting you to Bordeaux. Others offer informative wine making and historic content, you choose. Some of the most beautiful include Château la Dauphine in Fronsac, Château Malartic la Gravière in Pessac Léognan, Chateau de Reignac in the Entre deux Mers,
Type 2 diabetes, the acquired form of the disease that causes unstable blood sugar levels, has led many to alter their diets in hopes of reducing their risk. A new long-term study suggests that the Mediterranean diet, which includes higher intake of plants, whole grains and olive oil and moderate consumption of wine, can reduce
Goodnight Hospitality opened the lounge component of its forthcoming restaurant, March, in the group’s hometown of Houston late last month. While the main dining room is set to debut in early 2021, the Lounge at March is now serving a prix-fixe wine-and-food experience that gives guests a taste of what’s to come. “I’m so excited
“An auction’s success is ultimately about the product,” Chris Munro, head of wine auctions at Christie’s, told Wine Spectator. “Of course, we all love to host in-person client dinners sharing wine with producers or consignors, but most buyers are keen to pick up the very best wines the world has to offer.” Like most sectors
Numerous studies over the past several decades have found evidence that wine’s anti-inflammatory compounds can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure. A new study from Harvard University, published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, followed people’s diet habits for more than two decades and found
Auction Napa Valley, which for nearly 40 years featured auctioneers paddling down lots of high-priced wines under the big white tent at Meadowood Resort, will not be returning in its traditional form when it resumes following the pandemic. Last week the board of directors of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association, which oversees the
For restaurateurs in cities across the U.S., winter is arriving early. After a trying year of pandemic shutdowns followed by a dance of takeout, outdoor service and limited indoor service, the industry is looking at shutdowns again as COVID-19 cases spike throughout the nation. “I was and am extremely concerned for our restaurant community,” said
A 5-acre plot along California’s Russian River has been the backbone and heart of SingleThread Farms inn and restaurant in Healdsburg since 2014. Now husband-and-wife owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton are expanding their passion-driven project by relocating farming operations from Alexander Valley to a much larger property in Dry Creek Valley. “We will have the
There aren’t many “off days” for Portland Trail Blazer CJ McCollum. Aside from being one of the NBA’s top shooting guards, the Ohio native has been getting into the wine game on his home court in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. In Spetember, McCollum released his first wine, the McCollum Heritage 91 Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains 2018,
When Tristan Le Lous and his brothers Briac and Guirec bought Bordeaux third-growth Château Cantenac-Brown in Margaux this past December, they fulfilled a long-cherished dream to own a top wine estate. They’d grown up in Burgundy, their grandfather’s cellar generously stocked. “We’ve always been passionate about wine in my family,” said Tristan Le Lous. They
Updated Nov. 12, 2020. Schedule subject to change. Straight Talk with Wine Spectator is a new Instagram Live series featuring conversations with wine-and-food newsmakers. The live chats kicked off in early April amid widespread shutdowns from the COVID-19 crisis, in order to shed light on the changes and challenges these industries are facing, and have
Coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease, is caused by the buildup of cholesterol deposits in artery walls, a process known as atherosclerosis. It can potentially lead to heart attacks and strokes. But a recent study from the University of Barcelona found that moderate consumption of Sherry was linked to reduced blood
Chef Charlie Palmer raised eyebrows in 2004 when he picked up his family and left New York City, where his flagship Aureole restaurant had earned him national acclaim, and moved to a ranch in California’s Sonoma Valley. By then Palmer was already chef and owner of Dry Creek Kitchen in the Hotel Healdsburg; he became
Infamous wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan will likely leave the federal prison near El Paso where he has spent the past few years at some point this weekend. The Indonesian national, convicted in 2013 of selling millions of dollars’ worth of fake collectible wines, is scheduled to be released Nov. 7. Kurniawan, 44, will not walk through
The chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas (CMS-A) stepped down today and the group announced plans for an overhaul, following its earlier suspension of seven male Master Sommeliers from all activities and the resignation of another. All stand accused of sexually harassing women who were pursuing certification with the group. Three additional Master Sommeliers