Wine

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

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

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

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

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

“Here I got a bank account with a couple million from investors to build a restaurant, and I’ve already demolished the previous spot. I can’t say, ‘Hold on to my money,’ or ‘Take back those documents I signed.’ I had to figure out how not to lose my shirt and go belly up before even

In a sign of Austrian wine evolving with the climate, F.X. Pichler, one of the leading wineries in the Wachau region, is quitting the winemaker association Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus. The winery will no longer use the association’s designated classification categories for dry white wines by ripeness, such as Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd, starting with the

Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia is one of the world’s most acclaimed wines, the Bordeaux blend that created the super Tuscan category. In 2018, Wine Spectator named the 2015 Sassicaia Wine of the Year, the pinnacle of a classic Bolgheri vintage. Which made it odd when someone found a case of the wine lying on the

When it comes to Tuscany’s wine giants, Piero Antinori humbly stands near the top. At age 82, he has helmed his family’s 600-year-old business, Marchesi Antinori, for more than 50 years, and has partnered on wineries in Napa Valley, Washington and Chile. Antinori began making his mark in 1971, when he upended Tuscan wine tradition

Dolores Cakebread, co-founder of Napa Valley’s Cakebread Cellars, passed away peacefully in her sleep Oct. 2, at the age of 90. She and her husband, Jack, started their winery in 1973, and from the start, Dolores stressed the importance of great food paired with great wine, helping build Napa’s reputation for hospitality. In 1972, the

The Bordeaux blend, a response to the challenges of climate change. Situated on the 45th parallel and on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux traditionally enjoys a moderate maritime climate, with the warming Gulf Stream allowing grapes to ripen well into October. This slow ripening period maintains a fresh acidity in the grapes whilst allowing complex aromas

Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards, was installing an ultraviolet light component to his HVAC system in the winery, offices and tasting rooms to protect both staff and customers against COVID-19 when inspiration struck. “The light bulb went off when we started researching the UV light to kill COVID,” said Bernau. “It reminded me

Global warming is impacting the DOCa Rioja and numerous studies provide scientific evidence of the fact. One of the most recent, Evaluación del impacto del cambio climático en la producción vitivinícola de la DOCa Rioja (1)  (Evaluation of the impact of climate change on the grape and wine production in the DOCa Rioja) tracks temperature

Restaurateur and chef Michael Mina has a new restaurant in Miami suburb Aventura, Ornos Estiatorio, featuring seafood-centric Greek cuisine and a similarly focused wine program. The Sept. 30 opening marks the San Francisco–based chef’s first Greek-style venture and joins the many carnivore-friendly restaurants in his Mina Group, including Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners Bourbon Steak

Hostess extraordinaire Lucie “Lulu” Peyraud, matriarch of Bandol’s Domaine Tempier and a cook whose Provençal cooking inspired great chefs, died Oct. 7 at age 102. “Her contributions were so huge: Provençal lifestyle, cooking, welcoming feeling, etc. And, of course, joie de vivre,” said Domaine Tempier’s winemaker Daniel Ravier, in an email to Wine Spectator. “It

The Glass fire, which erupted Sept. 27 in the hills above St. Helena, burned wineries and vineyards. It also halted harvest and may prove to be the knockout punch for the 2020 vintage in both Napa and Sonoma. The preceding LNU Complex fires in August had already impacted the vintage, as smoke lingered over the

Wine Spectator has been continuously updating our coverage of the West Coast wildfires. The Glass fire in Napa is still blazing, as vintners inspect damage to their properties. Read the latest developments. The 2020 wildfires in California started in August, damaging and destroying residences and businesses, including wineries, hotels and restaurants, across the state. In

Troy and Jill Campione were on the couch watching a Disney sing-along skit and sipping Piper-Heidsieck Champagne when inspiration struck. The six-time Video Contest finalists decided to add their own wine-centric lyrics to Beauty and the Beast‘s hit song “Be Our Guest” for this year’s “Wine at Home” theme, and film a music video. The

Updated: Sept. 30, 5:30 pm PDT When the fires came in the middle of the night to Spring Mountain, 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley floor, Steve Sherwin and his son Matt were not going to give up without a fight. They began helping fire crews, trying to keep the flames away from Sherwin Family

After Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and her husband, Shane Pavitt, evacuated their winery near Calistoga, they feared the worst. Watching the feed from their Nest camera online, they could see the flames of the Glass fire come all the way to the front door of the house. When they returned Wednesday, they found both comfort and

For many fans of Napa Valley, the sight of the restaurant at Meadowood Resort engulfed in the flames of the Glass fire this week was heartbreaking. To Meadowood co-owner and vintner H. William Harlan, it was one more obstacle to be conquered. Meadowood was Harlan’s first real-estate purchase in the valley. He bought what was

The relationship between alcohol and cancer is complex. Research has linked moderate alcohol consumption with a lower risk of some cancers including lung cancer and colon cancer. Other studies have shown a link between even light alcohol consumption and other cancers, particularly breast cancer. A new study from a team of U.K. and Australian researchers

Updated Sept. 28, 8:15 p.m. PDT The communities of Napa and Sonoma counties have been stunned and humbled by the devastation and uncertainty brought by the wildfires that continue to rage there. The Glass Incident fires, which ignited Sept. 27, have consumed more than 36,200 acres, destroying homes, wineries and other businesses, with countless others

“Brutal” and “relentless” were the words one California winemaker used after receiving evacuation alerts early this morning. The Glass fire, which ignited just before 4 a.m. near the community of Deer Park, quickly spread to the eastern foothills between Calistoga and St. Helena in the heart of Napa Valley and has grown to 2,500 acres

Zachys auction house scored big in its European debut Sept. 12, thanks to a consignment from the Grand Award–winning restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri. The New York–based auction house sold over 2,500 bottles from restaurant owner Giorgio Pinchiorri’s world-renowned cellar in Florence, Italy, bringing in a total of $4.1 million. The event took place at Cabotte Wine

It has been an unprecedented year for Sonoma’s vintners, who have grappled with COVID-19, tasting room shutdowns, wildfires and smoke, but that couldn’t stop the annual Sonoma County Wine Auction from going ahead this past weekend. One of the top charity auctions held in California wine country, it went virtual for 2020, with online events