Wine
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Grieving in Wine Country: How Wine Brought One Man Back from the Dead
Two hours north of Los Angeles, or however long it takes you to crawl 120 miles along LA freeways, just past the Santa Barbara beaches there is a 90-degree dogleg-right in the 101 freeway. As you veer around the bend, a tunnel materializes suddenly before you, which burrows through a jagged peak of sandstone. It…
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Your Pocket Guide to Barolo, Plus Which Bottles to Buy
Not many bottles get to claim to be “the king of wines,” but Barolo has snagged that prestigious title in the hearts of many. Made in Northwestern Italy, this bold red wine has been enjoyed for centuries. But whether Barolo is a staple in your collection or you’ve never tried a bottle yourself, there’s a…
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These Are The Leading Spirit Stores in America, as Voted by Industry Professionals
From got-it-all, big-box retailers to tiny shops with laser-focused collections, these retailers are ready to help shoppers get in the spirit.We’re using “spirits shops” as a catch-all term for the broad range of venues that sell distilled spirits, including generic liquor stores, wine shops with carefully-curated spirit selections, sprawling chains and other purveyors large and…
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New Year’s Eve Champagne Guide: Elevate Your Celebration with These Top Picks
There’s a lot of pressure (pun intended) that comes with choosing the right bottle of bubbly to kick off the new year. From nonvintage Champagne for every budget to splurge-worthy Champagnes to add to your cellar, there is a ton of variety out there. Need help navigating it all? Our wine tasting experts break down…
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Celebrating the Life and Legacy of THIS, Global Wine Icon
Third-generation South Australian winemaker Francis d’Arenberg Osborn—widely known as d’Arry—passed away on December 16th at the age of 95. Credited as one of the founding fathers of the modern McLaren Vale wine industry, d’Arry grew his family winery, d’Arenberg, from bulk producer to one of the world’s best known Australian labels over the course…
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The Most Sought-After Cocktails of 2022
It’s the most reflective time of year, and we can’t help but marvel at the cocktail creations that stole the show in 2022. We ran the numbers, and our most popular drinks recipes spanned both classic cocktails and unexpected newcomers. Some drinks, like hot buttered rum, offered a timeless appeal, while others, like the emerald-hued…
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Purr-fect Pairing: Cats and Wineries Create ‘Win-Win Situation’
Across the country, rescued cats are living “their best nine lives” at the most unexpected of places: wineries. Sometimes, it’s stray cats that adopt a winery or vineyard, as was the case at the Napa Valley’s Black Cat Vineyard. In the mid-1990s, a stray black cat wandered onto the property as proprietor and winemaker…
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Is There Such a Thing as Saké Terroir? It’s Complicated.
For over 2,500 years, the story of saké has evolved, percolating through the bedrock of the 47 prefectures contained in the archipelago of Japan. From snowy Hokkaido in the north to subtropical Okinawa in the south, saké and its culture evolved uniquely, molded by aspects of people and place. In wine, terms like regionality…
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This Hard Seltzer-Inspired Cocktail Is Perfect for Late Summer And Beyond
Adapted from 60-Second Cocktails: Amazing Drinks to Make at Home in a Minute, by Joel Harrison & Neil Ridley (Princeton Architectural Press, 2022). The juggernaut that is hard seltzer has been on a tear since White Claw and Truly debuted in 2016, surging during the pandemic and continuing robust sales through 2022. While the…
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The Rosé Sessions: The Chicks on How—and Why—They Got Into the Wine Business
When the 13-time Grammy-Award winning country music band The Chicks sat down for this interview, they were in Toronto on tour—their first since 2017. Asked how the tour was going, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire both paused, laughed and said in unison, “Well…” Despite having to cancel a few dates due to lead singer…