Wine

Danny Meyer thought he was on stage to tussle with José Andrés. The restaurateur and founder of Union Square Hospitality Group was a panelist at the New York Wine Experience’s annual Chefs’ Challenge, a wine-and-food pairing competition starring chefs José Andrés, Eric Ripert and Emeril Lagasse, along with Meyer. But Marvin R. Shanken, Wine Spectator’s

“Wine is about enjoyment,” observed Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, co-owner of Château Mouton-Rothschild, while speaking to more than 1,000 guests at the 2022 New York Wine Experience as they enjoyed a vertical tasting of wines from his family’s famed first-growth. “It’s a people business. Don’t forget about that.” It was impossible to forget how much

Gaylon Lawrence’s wine ambitions extend beyond Napa Valley, apparently. Lawrence Family Wine Estates, the wine company founded by the Tennessee billionaire and managed by Carlton McCoy, has purchased a majority stake in Château Lascombes, a second-growth estate in Bordeaux’s Margaux appellation. The deal is Lawrence Wine Estates’ first acquisition in Europe, joining a portfolio which

The celebrations started early on the first morning of Wine Spectator’s 2022 New York Wine Experience at the New York Marriott Marquis. Editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken took the podium to announce the first of two 2022 Wine Spectator Distinguished Service Award winners, for “my beloved friend Thomas Matthews.” Matthews, who joined the publication

On a night when more than 250 of the world’s best wines were being served to a packed house, somehow the wines were not the biggest attraction in the room. On the opening night of the 2022 New York Wine Experience, it was the people. “It’s just fantastic to be back,” said Christian Seely, managing

On Oct. 18, Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) revived their Roman-Italian restaurant, Maialino, at the Redbury Hotel in New York, adding another new hot spot to Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood. USHG closed Maialino’s original Gramercy Park Hotel location—a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winner—in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (though

On Aug. 27, nearly 600 wine aficionados flocked to Oakville’s Renteria 360 Vineyard for the 15th annual Harvest Stomp auction, a night of live music and great food for a worthy cause. This year’s event raised $3.3 million, surpassing last year’s total by $600,000. Harvest Stomp supports Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), which seeks to promote

Have you ever worried that a daily cup of joe might increase your risk of heart problems? If so, you’re not alone. Driven by worries about caffeine’s stimulant properties, many people still hold the misconception that coffee is unsafe for those at risk of cardiovascular issues. But a new study suggests there’s little to fear

Wine Spectator makes its podcast debut this week with the launch of Straight Talk with Wine Spectator, a new podcast available exclusively at WineSpectator.com/podcast. Hosted by senior editor and special projects director James Molesworth, each episode will spotlight subjects featured in the most recent issues of Wine Spectator magazine. Building on the success of Wine

Beloved Spanish chef José Andrés is at it again. Even as his World Central Kitchen provides relief to victims of Hurricane Ian, he has opened a cocktail bar featuring inspired small plates and a compelling range of sparkling wines. Nubeluz, which opened Sept. 24 on the 50th floor of the new Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad—where

When Jacques Cariot walked into his wood-clad dining room at Bleu Provence in Naples, Florida, after Hurricane Ian had passed and saw the water had been 6 feet deep inside, it was actually a relief. He had feared the devastation to the Grand Award-winning restaurant would be worse. “When the water hits that level, everything has to be

In a merger of French wine titans, François Pinault’s Artémis Domaines—the owner of iconic wineries such as Bordeaux’s Château Latour, Burgundy’s Clos de Tart and Napa’s Domaine Eisele Vineyard—is buying a majority stake in Maisons & Domaines Henriot, which owns Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy, William Fèvre in Chablis, Maison Henriot in Champagne and

Should the label on a bottle of Pinot or Pilsner match what’s on a can of soda? Alcoholic beverages are regulated by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), not the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They’re subject to different regulations than most foods and drinks. But now TTB has proposed that

Fort Worth darling Tim Love, known for bold takes on Southwestern cuisine at his signature Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and elsewhere, has opened a New York–style Italian joint in the Stockyards, the lively Western entertainment district where visitors can shop, dine and witness a cattle drive all in an afternoon. Caterina’s doubles down on Love’s

Wine investment funds are having a moment—again. After the collapse of several such funds a decade ago, triggered by the abrupt Chinese retreat from the luxury wine market, they are again coming on strong. While their methods differ, all wine funds project a common message: It’s smart to augment your traditional portfolio of stocks and

Longtime California vintner Fred Franzia, the co-founder of Bronco Wine Co. best-known for his Charles Shaw brand, aka “Two Buck Chuck,” passed away Sept. 13 at age 79. He will be remembered as a larger-than-life character who expanded the reach of California wine with budget bottlings that offered consistent quality. Franzia founded Bronco Wine Co.

Washington State’s wine community is grappling with the loss of respected winemaker Ross Andrew Mickel. The 47-year-old, along with his wife and young son, were among 10 people who were lost on Sept. 4 when a seaplane crashed near Whidbey Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound, just north of Seattle. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has acquired Oregon’s fast-growing A to Z Wineworks brand, as well as its sister label, Rex Hill, Wine Spectator has learned. Already the largest producer in Washington state, Ste. Michelle (SMWE) now has a dominant footprint in Oregon as well. The purchase, when combined with SMWE’s existing Oregon winery, Erath, brings

It looks like Jean-Georges Vongerichten isn’t ready to stop growing his global restaurant empire. Fresh from opening his latest project in lower Manhattan, the dining/retail destination Tin Building, the France-born, New York-based chef and restaurateur announced in August that he would open a restaurant in L&L Holding Company’s new 47-story office building at 425 Park

Louis-Fabrice Latour, president of Maison Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s most prominent and historic wine producers, died Sept. 5 of cancer. He was 58. “He will be missed tremendously by all the Burgundians in general and especially by those, like me, who have been his friend,” said Pierre-Henry Gagey, president of Maison Louis Jadot. “Louis-Fabrice

Eight years after it was discovered in the United States in a pile of rocks intended for landscaping in a backyard garden in Pennsylvania, the spotted lanternfly, a moth-like insect from southern China, has spread to 12 additional states. That has vintners in the Eastern U.S. dealing with damage to vines and looking for a

Auction of Washington Wines (AWW) celebrated its 35th year by raising $4 million for Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Washington State University Viticulture and Enology program and industry grant partner Vital Wines, which is “dedicated to ensuring vineyard and winery workers are recognized, valued, and have access to healthcare and other important resources.” After going virtual

Located in New York’s Greenwich Village, the One Fifth Avenue skyscraper has been home to several memorable Manhattan restaurants, starting with the original One Fifth, a destination for both the building’s co-op residents and local and visiting celebrities. (Keith and Brian McNally worked there before becoming famous restaurateurs in their own right.) Later, there was

On the afternoon of Aug. 14, a violent storm and small tornado hit the French town of Bédarrides, with 120 mph wind gusts and large hailstones inflicting damage in vineyards along the eastern side of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. According to reports from local vignerons, the primary impact was felt in La Crau, the famed vineyard on a

The 24th annual V Foundation Wine Celebration brought over 450 wine lovers to Nickel & Nickel winery in Oakville, Calif., on Aug. 6 and raised nearly $6.5 million for cancer research. The auction was one of several events in a weekend celebrating the legacy of Jim Valvano, the basketball player, coach and ESPN broadcaster known

André Hugel, a former leader at Famille Hugel winery in France’s Alsace region, passed away Aug. 15 from complications due to COVID. He was 92. Part of the 11th generation of the Hugel family, a name synonymous with Alsace wine, André will be remembered as a proud champion of his region’s culture and defender of

The Russian River Valley and Joe Rochioli Jr. are inseparably connected. Raised on his family’s farm on Westside Road in Healdsburg, Rochioli never left, save for college and the Army. He was the patriarch of the region, an integral citizen of the city of Healdsburg, and a proud, hardworking farmer who helped earn the Russian

Weekend packages for Wine Spectator‘s 41st annual New York Wine Experience have sold out, but wine lovers interested in attending the three-day series of seminars and walk-around tastings can now sign up for the waiting list. Limited individual tickets for the Wine Experience’s two evening Grand Tastings, featuring more than 200 of the world’s best

Wine Spectator is pleased to announce the promotion of Mitch Frank to senior editor. Frank joined Wine Spectator as associate editor in 2005 and in his current position as news editor he is in charge of reporting breaking news for both print and digital. In this role, Frank delivers timely news on wine as it

In 2002, long before José Andrés founded World Central Kitchen and became one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved chefs, he opened a Mediterranean restaurant in Washington, D.C., called Zaytinya. Now, Zaytinya has come to New York City, where it opened in July inside the new Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad—one of several recent dining