Wine

Agustin Huneeus Jr. has stepped down as CEO of Huneeus Vintners as he stands accused of trying to get his daughter into USC through fraud and bribery Photo by: Brian Snyder/REUTERS/Newscom Agustin Huneeus Jr., right, leaves the federal courthouse in Boston on March 29, after a hearing. For more than a week, the 33 parents

White asparagus is quintessential springtime—fresh and fleeting, in season just from March through May. It owes its spectral appearance to human intervention; as the stalks grow, workers repeatedly cover up the tops with dirt, preventing the shoots from seeing sunlight until after they’re harvested. This prevents them from developing chlorophyll, the pigment that would turn

It turned out difficult to make a clean break. Plus, a soccer Champagne shower gone wrong; and Jordan winery’s April Fool’s prank gets out of … foot Photo by: Twitter / @RoyalNavy “Yo ho / Yo ho / Do we remain or leave?” The HMS Forth, sister ship to the newly-christened HMS Tamar. Champagne is

From diners suspicious of being ripped off to cellar-management tedium to working past midnight, every night—these 8 wine pros tell us what really puts them to the test Follow your favorite restaurants’ sommeliers on Instagram and you could be mistaken for thinking they’re living a Champagne dream of endless rare bottles, high-roller parties and “work

The 2018 vintage shows great promise, but with prices high, U.S. consumers are increasingly waiting for the wines to hit store shelves Bordeaux is preparing for its latest futures campaign, the first chance to buy the 2018 wines. But while the Bordeaux Wine Council says America is one of its priority markets, U.S. retailers tell

Photo by: John Curley Sonoma’s Ravenswood is one of the wine brands included in the deal. Wine giant E. & J. Gallo is purchasing approximately 30 wine and spirits brands from Constellation Brands for $1.7 billion, along with related facilities located in California, New York and Washington. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval

Zachys sells a massive collection of wines sourced from the Bordeaux first-growth’s cellar, including eleven bottles from the 19th century Photo by: Matthew Peyton Rare bottles more than a century old, like this 1905, were given fresh labels for the sale. Rare wines sourced from the cellars of Château Lafite Rothschild commanded stratospheric prices at

Plus, chef and co-owner of Aster in San Francisco, a Daniel Patterson restaurant, leaves Photo by: Mikey Pozarik BLT Prime offers a variety of dishes at its many locations nationwide. BLT Prime Reopens on Manhattan’s Upper East Side ESquared Hospitality’s BLT Prime is back in service in New York City. The contemporary steak-house chain had

Photo by: Third Coast At Third Coast, pair classic California wines with a menu that fuses Houston’s many cultural influences. Houston’s Texas Medical Center is a renowned hub for healthcare and research, but it’s also a hub for world-class wines, thanks to the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner on the sixth floor. The restaurant,

No matter your city, these restaurants’ wine lists have what you’re looking for Creating a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning wine list is an accomplishment for a single restaurant, but offering high-quality wine experiences at numerous locations around the world presents exceptional challenges. We tip our hat to these 10 families of restaurants that have put

The director and star of the new Napa-set Netflix film talks SNL soirees, wine-tasting improv and the real-life wine-country adventure that inspired her story For her feature directorial debut, Amy Poehler decided to head to Napa. The Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation star recruited an ensemble cast of her real-life friends who powered

Plus, a new study finds that aging cheeses prefer old-school hip-hop; and “important VC newsletter” Wine Spectator included in $500 VC Starter Kit, with Tesla keychain Photo by: Courtesy of Guy Bar-Oz They were throwing away perfectly good shards! Scenes from the University of Haifa team’s Elusa dig Once famous across continents as a mecca

Vintners, chefs, wine lovers and politicians convened in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the four-day event’s 20th anniversary Photo by: HTeam Photography More than a dozen Bordeaux vintners gathered on stage to show large format bottles up for auction. The Heart’s Delight Charity Wine Auction came two months earlier this year, but the excitement still boomed

Under his oversight, one of the East End’s founding wineries became a leader in quality and sustainability in New York Photo by: Sara Matthews Brooklyn-born Michael Lynne was a lawyer and film executive who fell in love with wine and invested close to home. When Michael Lynne purchased Bedell Cellars in 2000, the East End

The most famous vineyard in California is back in court. Vintner Jeremy Nickel claims Robert Mondavi illegally obtained To Kalon trademark The To Kalon vineyard in Oakville is considered a prime spot for Cabernet, but there have been many disputes over its borders. Another battle has broken out over who can use the name of

The ‘California Gurl’ herself will launch the bidding, and the star chef will be cooking with fire Photo by: Pedro Fiúza/NurPhoto via Getty Images Katy Perry performs at a recent concert; this year she’ll light up the stage at Auction Napa Valley. Are you ready for the perfect storm—of wine, food, Napa vibes and all-star

Here’s how to stick to an eating strategy without giving up your favorite alcoholic beverage Going on a diet used to mean cutting out all “bad” foods and drinks in order to lose weight, and alcohol was typically the first to go. Not only does it add extra calories, but it also makes it easier

After honing their craft in kitchens and dining rooms around the country, the duo came home and brought fresh ideas for wining and dining with them Photo by: Front Room Chef Paul, left, and Joe Bartolotta have expanded from a small ristorante to a Milwaukee dining empire. How did the Bartolotta brothers, partners in the

Near the summit of a Rockies slope, the “highest restaurant” in America has no running water, but plenty of Italian vino. And you have to ski back down. Plus, newest wine bot to become “salutary god” of your vineyard, resistance futile High up in the Rockies, sunshine skiing season is in full swing, and this

Note: This article originally appeared in the Oct. 31, 2018, issue of Wine Spectator. Wine pairs with anything; Tabasco pairs with anything. And the person pairing both together is McIlhenny Co. CEO Tony Simmons, whose passion for the fruit of the vine—and the fruit of the pepperbush—led to his 3,000-bottle cellar on Avery Island, La.

The Arroyo Grande winery will become a hub for Vintage’s Central Coast wine production and add sparkling wine to its growing portfolio Photo by: Georgie Hackett/Vintage Wine Estates Laetitia enjoys a spot in the Arroyo Grande Valley, roughly halfway between Santa Barbara and Paso Robles. Vintage Wine Estates is betting big on California’s Central Coast.

The federal government is allocating $68.9 million to build a grape-genetics research lab near Cornell University’s Geneva campus in New York’s Finger Lakes Photo by: Courtesy of Heart & Hands Wine Company Located in New York, the Grapevine Genetics Research Unit has helped winemakers in the Finger Lakes and beyond. For years, some of America’s

McGuire Moorman Hospitality gains a new wine director as Rodil heads to Houston. Plus, a Los Angeles staple gets a revival from Otium chef, and more June Rodil is leaving her position as vice president of operations for McGuire Moorman Hospitality (MMH) to become a partner at Houston-based group Goodnight Hospitality. During her nearly five

Photo by: Loretta Chic Bistrot Loretta Chic Bistrot is a casual neighborhood eatery with European flair. When wine director Laura Santander and chef Abel Hernández opened Eloise Chic Cuisine in 2013, the restaurant made waves in the quiet Mexico City neighborhood of San Ángel. The elegant French restaurant earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence that

In Pennsylvania, strict liquor laws make it particularly challenging to build a wine program, especially one that stands among the best in the world. These 10 destinations defy the odds with Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning wine lists, enhanced by rich histories and well-executed cuisines. So the next time you find yourself in Philly, skip the

Il Papa set high standards for holy wine, and an Italian vineyard heeded his call with a new cuvée. Plus, wine and food at SXSW with chef Dominique Crenn, Blackberry Farm’s Andy Chabot and LeBron’s Instagram; and Champagne Pommery’s art prize kicks off the New York Armory Show Yesterday marked six years since Cardinal Jorge

The massive development project on Manhattan’s West Side has its grand opening March 15, including dozens of restaurants. Here’s what to expect The west end of Midtown Manhattan is an odd place. The New Jersey–facing piers that were until recently the neighborhood’s defining feature feel far removed from the bustling crowds that canvas the rest

Photo by: Julie Harans A savory Sangiovese cuts through the richness of the cheese and butter with its acidity and tannins. Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That’s all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for less than $20, and you’ve got a feast for family

Winemakers at Sebastopol complex suffered damage to tasting rooms and stored cases Photo by: Jane Tyska/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images Floodwaters from the Laguna de Santa Rosa swamped the Barlow district in Sebastopol, Calif. Last week, a series of powerful storms dumped 7 inches of rain on Sonoma County over the span of

At the New York City institution, providing feel-good fine wining means guessing which ’91 DRC tomorrow’s guest will call up—or which $90 bottle tastes like a special occasion Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 10:30 a.m. Dining-Room Cubicle Morning light streams through the dining room’s oversized windows, but you can already feel the anticipation of tonight’s service