Wine

Davies and Brook, chef Daniel Humm’s restaurant in London’s Claridge’s hotel, will close at the end of December. Opened in late 2019, it was the first international venture for Humm’s New York–based Make It Nice group, which includes Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Eleven Madison Park. Since Humm’s transition to a completely vegan menu at

Why do certain wines give people headaches, even when consumed in moderation? Wine intolerance has long been a mystery and a nuisance for many wine lovers. For researchers, it’s proven difficult to determine what exactly causes the symptoms, which can range from headaches to nausea to wheezing and even anaphylaxis. While studies have pointed to

Philippe Cambie, one of the most influential winemakers in the Southern Rhône Valley, has died Dec. 18, just a month shy of his 60th birthday. Cambie was consulting winemaker for dozens of wineries in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the surrounding appellations of the Southern Rhône and in the Languedoc. He was also owner of his own Southern

MGM Resorts International, a collection of hospitality venues across the globe, named Douglas Kim as its new wine director this month. Kim now oversees the wine programs for hundreds of concepts including four Wine Spectator Grand Award winners at the company’s lauded Las Vegas casino-resorts such as Bellagio and MGM Grand. He’s been with the

The Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation (CBWCF)’s Grand Auction, held Nov. 6, raised $2.3 million for the Access College Foundation, which helps increase college admission for underrepresented and low-income students. “This was the best year for the CBWCF, raising about $1 million more than we did in 2019,” said Foundation executive director Jennie Capps. “Folks

Bill Foley is buying another Sonoma icon. His company, Foley Family Wines, has acquired Chateau St. Jean from Aussie wine giant Treasury Wine Estates. The deal includes St. Jean’s chateau in Kenwood, Calif., as well as a 6,000-square-foot visitors center and 39,000-square-foot production facility. The deal also includes Chateau St. Jean’s 79 acres of estate

The energy was electric inside Las Vegas’ Mirage ballroom Dec. 4 as wine lovers gathered for the first installment of Wine Spectator’s 2021 Grand Tour. This sold-out event was the first Grand Tour since April 2019, and represented a much-anticipated reunion for the wine community. “It’s really exciting to be able to reconnect with people

Add one more salvo to the ongoing scientific debate on the health impact of moderate drinking. Multiple studies have found in recent decades that drinking approximately a glass of wine a day can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. But there’s recently been pushback, with some arguing that other factors are at play and that

One of Santa Barbara’s top vineyards is changing hands. Kathy Joseph is selling her 100-acre Fiddlestix Vineyard to a partnership led by Justin Willett of Tyler Wines. The sale price for the Sta. Rita Hills property was not disclosed, but Willett and company will take over ownership of the land, while Joseph will release wines

Wine has been largely absent from the raging debate over inflation in recent months. While the wholesale price of beef is up by 20 percent and gas costs are at their highest level in seven years, a bottle of wine has been one of the few products consumers could count on to stay stable. Not

After an external investigation that began one year ago, the Court of Master Sommeliers-Americas (CMS-A) plans to expel six Master Sommeliers: Bob Bath, Fred Dame, Fred Dexheimer, Drew Hendricks, Joseph Linder and Matt Stamp. The move follows allegations by multiple female wine professionals who were studying for the organization’s certification exams that some of the

The team behind Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Acquerello in San Francisco opened Sorella (Italian for “sister”) on Dec. 1. “After spending 32 years perfecting the fine dining experience at Acquerello, we are ready for a new challenge,” co-owner Giancarlo Paterlini told Wine Spectator via email. “The time feels right for us to introduce a

Winemaker Eloi Dürrbach, owner of Provence’s Domaine de Trévallon, died Nov. 12 at his winery. He was 71. “For my father, either you did something with passion and excellence, or you didn’t do it all,” said his daughter, Ostiane Dürrbach Icard. He was a winemaker who was proud to do what he loved—produce great wines.

Burgundy’s historic Hospices de Beaune charity auction roared back to life Nov. 21 after delaying and limiting its 2020 auction, setting a new record in front of a packed house. The 161st iteration of the auction raised a total of $15.3 million, including premiums, for multiple charities. The highlight of the sale was a record

One of the world’s largest wine corporations is buying a Napa Valley winery, taking another step in adding more premium wines to its U.S. portfolio. Treasury Wine Estates announced yesterday a deal to acquire Frank Family Vineyards for $315 million. Frank Family is known for Chardonnay and also makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and sparkling

While chef Christopher Kostow’s Wine Spectator Grand Award–winning Restaurant at Meadowood has yet to be rebuilt after it was largely destroyed in the September 2020 California wildfires, his more casual Napa restaurant, the Charter Oak, is up and running. Now, the chef is bringing that concept to a pop-up at Montage Los Cabos. “The whole idea was

We all know that a glass of wine can impact our mood, whether it relaxes us at the end of the day, or increases our pleasure while drinking with friends while out on the town. But can it improve awareness of body, space and time? Researchers at the University of Lisbon in Portugal recently performed

It was a record-breaking weekend for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s Carnivale du Vin charity event, which took place on Nov. 5 and 6 in New Orleans. The 17th annual culinary-inspired wine auction raised $3.75 million to support local children’s charities focusing on nutrition and arts education, $175,000 more than the 2019 live event. Last year’s

Few French winegrowers will remember 2021 fondly. This year France recorded its smallest wine grape harvest since 1957. And it was just one of many nations that produced less wine this year thanks to challenges across much of Europe that included late-spring frost, hail, drought, vine disease and wildfire. Speaking from Paris last week about

Constellation is making it official. Following last year’s minority investment in California’s Booker Vineyard, the corporation is exercising an option in the agreement to acquire the collection in full. Constellation’s portfolio now includes the brands Booker Vineyard, My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet. Constellation executives tell Wine Spectator that these brands saw double-digit growth

Producers in France’s Champagne region concluded this year’s harvest with a big sigh of relief. The 2021 growing season was one of the region’s most challenging in decades, dogged by frost, mildew and hail. But all is not lost, leading Champagne houses and growers insist. The reduced crop that they were able to harvest still

Perhaps no industry was impacted more directly economically by the COVID-19 pandemic than restaurants. According to the National Restaurant Association, sales in 2020 were $240 billion below estimates and more than 110,000 restaurants closed their doors permanently that year. Even as the U.S. recovers in staggered steps, the pain continues, with staff shortages and rising

After temporarily closing in March 2020 due to the pandemic, Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Le Cirque reopened Oct. 28 at Las Vegas’ Bellagio hotel, with Dameon Evers taking over as executive chef. Former chef Chris Heisinger is now assistant executive chef of the entire Bellagio property. “I’m honored to be working

As world leaders meet in Glasgow this week for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to discuss the climate crisis, the wine industry is looking at ways it can reduce its carbon footprint. One Napa winery, Trefethen Family Vineyard, has partnered with Texas company Earthly Labs for an innovative carbon-capturing pilot program at

On Sept. 19, an oven caught fire at one of Argentina’s largest glass factories in Mendoza, quickly spreading across an entire floor, destroying machines and supplies. Verallia, which makes 35 percent of Argentina’s wine bottles, had to take its operations partially offline as it began repairs. The incident sent local wineries into panic mode. Making

Food scientists at Cornell University have found further evidence that red grape pomace offers potential nutritional benefits. They’re hoping that by using polyphenolic compounds from pomace, they can both reduce waste and improve people’s gut and heart health. Vintners are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their waste. One option is recycling pomace, the skins

“Man, it feels good to be here,” said California winemaker Mark Aubert, speaking from on stage at the 2021 New York Wine Experience. “If I had to do another Zoom wine tasting ….” Hundreds of winemakers and wine lovers in the room heartily agreed. After 18 months of pandemic ups-and-downs and uncertainty, the Wine Experience

Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, co-owner of St.-Emilion’s Château Angélus and winemaking consultant, was found guilty yesterday by a Bordeaux tribunal of knowingly using his public roles to influence the 2012 St.-Emilion classification. The court found that he participated in the ranking process despite having a financial interest in the classification and acting as an

Many of the world’s greatest winemakers could be found Thursday night in New York’s Times Square. They had not gathered to grab a show at the recently reopened theaters of Broadway. Rather, they came to lift glasses and toast being together again. After skipping 2020, the New York Wine Experience returned to the Marriott Marquis

Seasoned Italian chef Hillary Sterling’s Ci Siamo is now open in New York. Backed by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, the restaurant debuted Oct. 12 at Manhattan West, a new development project adjacent to Hudson Yards. The Italian name translates to “here we are” or “we’ve arrived,” which the team notes is particularly fitting