Wine

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

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

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

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

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

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

A steak house from chef Nancy Silverton, the Barish, debuted Oct. 21 in the historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel on Los Angeles’ Hollywood Boulevard. This marks the first new restaurant from Silverton since 2013, when she added Chi Spacca to her list of ventures that includes Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Osteria Mozza.

The Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s Carnivale du Vin Reimagined brought in big numbers, despite a difficult year for charity wine auctions. The 16th annual auction went virtual for the first time, and was live streamed via YouTube on Oct. 17. With over 300 supporters from around the country tuning in, and chef Emeril Lagasse and Foundation

High blood pressure is a significant factor behind potentially fatal conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. But a new study has found that higher intake of flavanols, a family of polyphenolic compounds found in fruits, vegetables and wine, is associated with lower blood pressure in men and women. Past research has found evidence of

A career in wine was always waiting for Andy Erickson—he just didn’t always realize it. Growing up in Indiana, the future Screaming Eagle winemaker and enology consultant was surrounded by agriculture, but after college he moved to the Bay Area to work in the advertising industry. It only took a few client meetings in Rutherford

After a career spanning more than 30 years at M. Shanken Communications, Thomas Matthews is stepping down as executive editor of Wine Spectator. Jeffery Lindenmuth, executive editor of sibling publication Whisky Advocate, will assume the role. The transition will take place at the end of 2020, announced Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of both

Harvest in Bordeaux is normally a time of celebration—the pinnacle of a growing season of hard work. Everyone on the château team joins harvesters and out-of-town guests in the vineyard to pick, often stopping for a lunch of good food and wine. This year was not quite the same. “[We had an almost] military organization

Ken Evenstad, who made his fortune in the pharmaceutical business before building one of Oregon’s most prominent wineries, Domaine Serene, died at his home Oct. 21 after a long history of chronic pulmonary issues. He was 77. Oregon’s wine industry was young when Ken and his wife, Grace, arrived 31 years ago, looking for land

For the first time in its 125-plus years of operation, Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Commander’s Palace in New Orleans has appointed a female executive chef, Meg Bickford. “I’ve been here for over a decade now, and this has always been a dream of mine, and more recently became my goal,” Bickford told Wine Spectator