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35 Articles

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & PUBLISHER MAGAZINE EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Capone ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon MANAGING EDITOR Stacy Briscoe PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER Casey Levine CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FOOD Nils Bernstein COPY EDITOR Melissa Johnson FACT CHECKER Anna Archibald DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Rachel Tepper Paley SENIOR DIGITAL VISUALS EDITOR Evan de Normandie DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas SENIOR DIGITAL EDITORS Diana Budds, Sara Ventiera WEB PRODUCER Samantha Sette TASTING TASTING DIRECTOR Anna-Christina Cabrales TASTING MANAGER Cody Wexler SNR. TASTING COORDINATOR Russell Peborde ASST. TASTING COORDINATORS Jake Abrams, Anthony Bates COPY EDITORS Lana Bortolot, Carolyn Gruske, Kathleen Kent, Risa Wyatt SOCIAL DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST Marco Bruno VIDEO SUPERVISING VIDEO PRODUCER Braxton Parr VIDEO PRODUCER Rob Martin WRITERS AT LARGE WINE Michael Alberty, Elaine Chukan Brown, Danielle Callegari, Tom R. Capo, Cheron Cowan, Matt Kettmann, Christina Pickard, Tonya Pitts, Jeff Porter, Emily Saladino, Reggie Solomon, Jesica Vargas, Roger Voss, Aleks Zecevic SPIRITS Kara Newman DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES…

WHERE VINTAGES MEET VINTAGE CAMERAS The old adage there’s no such thing as a free lunch holds as true today as it did in the past, but more on that later. When we were coming up with a plan to capture this year’s Future 40, we nodded to nostalgia and shipped every single winner their own Fujifilm Instax camera (which spits out images as soon as you hit the shutter button) and some film to allow them to show us who they are. Looking at these innovators through a lens of the past (one that was in their own hands) allowed for an analog feel and for their personalities to shine through. What’s old is new again over and over, be it the ancient tradition of extended skin-contact white wines (i.e. orange…

AN EXPLORATION OF WINES FROM GAVI In May, Wine Enthusiast partnered with Consorzio Tutela del Gavi to present a selection of the region’s finest wines in a master class led by Jeff Porter, writer-at-large and reviewer of wines from Piedmont and Northern Italy. This exclusive event took place in The Bard Room within the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan. Guests learned about and tasted their way through premier Gavi wines while Porter shared the dynamism of the Piedmont terroir, where vast plains and mountains converge to produce world-class wines. After the class, two special edition bottles were unveiled and paired with a menu curated to highlight the wines’ unique flavor profiles.…

Distill to Sustain Most non-Italians meet grappa—the pomace brandy distilled from the remains of grape winemaking in Italy—at the end of a meal at an Italian-ish restaurant, when the old owner wanders out to say thanks for spending too much money on bad food with a gratis sip of clear liquid that smells like kerosene and tastes worse. But as we all eventually learn, the best things in life actually aren’t free, and the glass that comes at no expense isn’t where you’ll find the best of anything. That said, quality grappa remains one of the best values you can find in the spirits market, considering the time and attention that goes into each bottle, in particular when it comes to single-varietal, aged and cru grappas. Alessio Planeta, CEO & chief winemaker…

GRAPE: Thick-skinned, with small-to-medium berries and large clusters CROSS OF: Vitis vinifera and Vitis aestivalis WINE STYLES: Dry red table wine, port, rosé and sparkling rosé AROMAS/FLAVORS: Blackberry, blueberry, dried fig, baking spices FOOD PAIRING: As a dry table wine—smoky meats, mushroom dishes and barbecue. As a port-style—chocolate-based desserts, cheesecake and blue cheeses LENOIR Dark, hardy and mysterious—this fleshy red is the U.S. Southeast’s perfect armchair wine. Lenoir is a grape of many names: Black Spanish, Black El Paso, Black July, Blue French, Cigar Box, Favorite, Jacquez, Sherry of the South—and the list goes on, hinging on growing region as well as reflecting subtle genetic differences. A blue-black, thick-skinned red-fleshed grape, Lenoir yields abundantly, grows vigorously and has a superpower: It doesn’t succumb to Pierce’s disease, phylloxera or powdery or downy mildew—all environmental threats in the warm,…

This all started when Karen MacNeil posted a video to Instagram she called “Why I hate Dry January.” Immediately they came for the esteemed journalist and author of the bestselling The Wine Bible. She was somewhat taken aback by the volume of blowback she received and the pedigree of some of the commenters she was engaged in back and forths with (*cough* a French Laundry somm *cough*). But the exchanges confirmed her belief that Dry January has begun to take on a somewhat self-righteous tone. But more importantly, she stresses all the good things wine brings to society. “Wine has for 8,000 years been the beverage that brings people together, that instigates new friendships and deepens old friendships,” she tells WE. “And what about all of that? Did that just…

ROM–Butter Noodles

BUTTER NOODLES WITH MELTING ONIONS AND CABBAGE From Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook by Carolina Gelen (Clarkson Potter, 2024) @carolinagelen Transylvania native Carolina Gelen has a knack for devising recipes that go viral as much for their simplicity as their innovation, like her vodka butter and an éclair cake. Her new debut cookbook, Pass The Plate, features 100 recipes that all feel like old favorites. She calls this “the Eastern European butter noodle, the dish you make when the thought of dinner just seems too overwhelming.” The combination of caramelized cabbage and onions, cracked pepper and the emulsified butter sauce is incredibly satisfying. ¹/₃ cup neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed, plus more as needed1 ½ tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns, plus more for serving3 medium yellow…

ROM–Butter Noodles

Pairology: Beets

FUN FACT: In the 17th century, it was common to color wine with red beetroot juice. *Geosmin contributes a strong earthy scent, which to some can come across as dirty, muddy or even fishy. Humans are able to detect the compound at concentrations as low as 5 parts per trillion, but how that aroma is perceived—whether pleasantly fragrant or obnoxiously pungent—varies human to human. If you’re on the “beets taste like dirt” side, here are a few kitchen tips: • Always remove the skins.• Roasting beets is the easiest way to bring out sugary sweetness.• Pickle beets for a sweet-tart expression.• Soften beets by boiling, purée and you’ve got egg replacer for almost any baked treat. BITTER & VEGETAL It’s not just the root itself that’s edible. Beet greens are similar in flavor and…

Pairology: Beets

Okbtoberfest Beer

American craft breweries have typically embraced Oktoberfest as a must-have style for the early fall season. “Oktoberfest can come in two different types being either the traditional Märzen or the Festbier which is the main beer style at the modern German Oktoberfest tents,” says Chris Enegren of California’s Enegren Brewing. “These styles fit well with the modern drinker because they’re designed for drinkability while maintaining a sense of complexity and flavor depth.” A proper Oktoberfest Märzen comprises varying percentages of Pilsner, Vienna and Munich Malts. “It shouldn‘t be as dry as a Vienna lager and not as malty as a Dunkel,” he says. On the other hand, the Festbier can be thought of as more of a special helles where the abv is around 6% and is made up of mostly…

Okbtoberfest Beer

Tools of the Trade–Pruning hook

Maybe it’s not the most innovative tool, but it doesn’t have to be. It does its job—the same way it has for centuries. There are ways to pick mechanically, of course, with basically giant robot tractor vacuum cleaners equipped with optic sensors, rolling through rows and sucking the clusters off the vines, but, in most quality vineyards throughout the world, you will find hooked pruning knives like this one, in expert human hands, separating grapes from shoots and canes faster than you might have thought possible.…

Tools of the Trade–Pruning hook

SWEET SORGHUM, MOONSHINE AND WINE Growers in Georgia’s Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA revel in unique … everything. Each October, not all that far from Peter Seifarth’s Crane Creek Vineyards winery in north Georgia, the town of Blairsville holds its annual Sorghum Festival. And why not? One historian has described Blairsville as “the capital of north Georgia’s sweet sorghum country.” The Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, which straddles the Georgia-North Carolina border (and includes Blairsville) is hardly a stereotypical wine region. If a half-century-old sorghum festival isn’t enough, there’s a centuries-long tradition of whiskey bootlegging in the region’s hills and hollers, as well as a social and cultural history that dates to some of the earliest European settlements in North America. And that doesn’t take into account any of the wine stuff. “This is not wine…

COM Doughnut Daquiri

This wonderfully autumnal Daiquiri is adapted from a more elaborate version served at Austin bar Elementary, where it’s made with housemade apple tepache and “brown butter biscuit syrup.” The drink channels childhood memories of going to the fair, explains cofounder Chris Arial, after one of the bartenders, Jode Gayle, recalled that “her favorite was getting a bucket of apple cider doughnuts.” Of note, Elementary focuses its cocktail program around sustainability and waste reduction. That cider doughnut nostalgia created an opportunity to upcycle apple peels and cores (byproducts of compressed apples used for a scallop dish at the restaurant), while buttermilk biscuits left over after brunch served to enrich a syrup. You don’t need to do all that, but the streamlined version here features a similar warm apple-and-spice profile. CIDER DOUGHNUT DAIQUIRI Adapted from Chris…

COM Doughnut Daquiri

In the town of Malia, Kostas Milathianakis, master gardener and brewer, teaches guests at Cretan Malia Park resort that in Crete, special occasions call for raki, or tsikoudia, not (as many may expect) ouzo. In the courtyard of the kafeneio (outdoor coffee and gathering spot), he assembles the shallow domed copper still, sealing it with a flour and water mixture, and lights the fire. Cretans use all parts of the vines following wine harvest. The wood feeds fireplaces; the leaves wrap dolmades. And any leftover grape pieces and juices produce raki, created by fermenting the mash in a dark place for 30 days before distilling. It’s an enduring symbol of hospitality, the cornerstone of their culture—so why use a Turkish word for a pivotal piece of heritage? It all goes back to…

This wholly Kittitian spirit marries island heritage with modern rum production. When Jack Widdowson was growing up in the 1990s, playing hide and seek with his sister on the grounds of Wingfield Estate on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts, rum had not been produced on the land in centuries. His father had purchased this overgrown estate 50 years earlier and gradually the family unearthed multiple structures dating back to the 1600s. When Jack was 17, they discovered the ruins of a rum distillery on the property—and while it filled its first barrels in 1681, it hadn’t produced a drop of rum in centuries. Most islanders weren’t even aware of its existence. Widdowson worked school holidays and summers to remove the rainforest from the decrepit building by hand, scraping moss from bricks,…

Rip out this page and stuff it in your pocket for when you go to the wine shop next, or just search wineenthusiast.com/ratings. Top 5 Cellar Selections Our reviewers have determined these wines are exceptionally ageworthy. 99 Pago de los Capellanes 2019 Parcela El Picon Tempranillo Blend (Ribera del Duero) Price: $257 abv: 15.5% 98 From the Sky Down 2021 Heart of the Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain) Price: $250 abv: 14.9% 98 Pieropan 2022 La Rocca Garganega (Soave) Price: $45 abv: 13% 97 Three Sticks 2021 Gap’s Pinnacle Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) Price: $95 abv: 14.1% 96 Nittnaus Anita und Hans 2021 Ried Altenberg Jois Blaufränkisch (Leithaberg) Price: $49 abv: 13.5% Top 5 Hidden Gems These wines may be atypical but they are worth trying—especially if you are looking for something different. 96 Balcón De Pilatos 2020 Maturana (Rioja) Price: $60 abv: 13.5% 94 Schnabel…

Viewpoint–More than just vinifera

When I first left the restaurant scene and moved to Southern Appalachia, it felt a little like leaving a cult (Netflix, I’m ready whenever you are). I needed time to adjust to the culture shock. I had been smelling and tasting European-made bottles almost exclusively for three years straight, and these wines were so different that some of them felt scandalous: I’m looking at you, Muscadine pét nat from Botanist and Barrel. Before making that hard left turn to North Carolina, I’d studied wine formally for three years. Six months into my home-state study, I realized that I wasn’t exactly studying wine before—I was studying European wine. Early in my education, I picked up the idea that grapes used for fine wine come from a single vine species: Vitis vinifera. It…

Viewpoint–More than just vinifera

The shelves of your local wine and spirits shops are morphing faster than ever before, in response to evolving tastes but also the pressures of climate change and myriad other conditions. The 40 folks highlighted here are a part of wave changing the wine, spirits, beer, cider and cannabis spaces for the better. And to show you who they are, well, we let them show you themselves: We sent each honoree an Instax camera, and what you see here are the photos they mailed back. Even innovators can rewind the clock on technology. Christopher Renfro Cofounder, The Two Eighty Project San Francisco, California @280project By day, Renfro sells wine he believes in at Friend of a Friend wine shop in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco and, um, also by day, he’s an urban…

JORDAN HUGHES NEVER EXPECTED TO BECOME THE FACE OF THE #PARMESANESPRESSOMARTINI. BY DAY A COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER, HUGHES MADE THE NOW-VIRAL DRINK ON HIS TIKTOK CHANNEL @HIGHPROOFPREACHER, JUST ONE OF MANY VIDEO DRINK TUTORIALS HE HAD POSTED. YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN THE VIDEO: SLIVERS OF PARM SOFTLY SNOW DOWN FROM A CHEESE GRATER, TOPPING CHOCOLATE-BROWN LIQUID IN A SLEEK NICK & NORA GLASS. “LET’S TRY THIS MONSTROSITY,” HUGHES SAYS, A KNOWING GLANCE INTO THE CAMERA. SIP. PAUSE. “I REGRET TO INFORM YOU, THAT WAS KIND OF AWESOME.” WEEKS LATER, THE VIDEO—AND THE DRINK—WENT VIRAL. TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS WITHIN THE WILD, WEIRD AND SOMETIMES OFF-PUTTING WORLD OF TIKTOK—AND HOW THOSE TRENDING DRINKS OFTEN INFLUENCE WHAT YOU’LL FIND NEXT IN YOUR GLASS—LET’S DECONSTRUCT THE ROLLER-COASTER JOURNEY OF THIS PARTICULAR VIDEO. Even if you’ve never watched…

The idea was hatched around midnight in the lobby of a Paso Robles hotel, where dozens of the country’s top sommeliers were wrapping up a long day of panels and tours by finishing bottles of whatever they could find. Having moderated a couple of those panels, I was in for the cause, and found myself chatting with a sweetly accented daughter of the American South—Arkansas, to be specific, where Susie Long is considered the Wine Queen of Little Rock. But she was talking more about her hometown of El Dorado, the pig farm where her parents live and how it’s a place where pig isn’t the only thing on the menu. She talked of deer and duck, of course, but then of eating squirrel, the cute, tree-leaping rodent once relatively common in…

Massal Selection

Winemaking, like fashion, seems to operate in cycles. What was once embarrassingly old hat—pét nats, bell bottoms—given time, gets reconsidered, upgraded, tweaked and presented in a new form that feels familiar, yet contemporary. Well, now vineyard planting is having its “what was old is new” moment. For decades, clonal selection was considered the smartest route to superior wine. Developed in Germany in the 1920s, it truly gained ground in the 1950s when wine growers in California and scientists at UC Davis noticed the productivity and quality of vineyards plummeting. In the most basic definition, clonal selection entails selecting a single well-performing vine from a great vineyard, taking cuttings from it, propagating it under the supervision of scientists, ensuring it is disease and virus free and planting it in vineyards across the…

Massal Selection

Oktoberfest is a lot like the Grand Canyon. Before visiting for the first time, previous tourists will tell you that you can’t fully appreciate the grandeur and spectacle until you’ve experienced it for yourself. This is true. What most won’t warn about in advance are the piles of vomit you will have to sidestep and the occasional body being wheeled out on a stretcher. The world’s largest beer festival, held annually in Munich, is about so much more than beer, although that remains the focus. It is a celebration of culture and fashion, of family and friendships, and while excess is expected, when one stays within personal limits, the memories can outlast the hangovers—maybe much longer. I’ve been covering the beer industry for more than two decades now, but until last September,…

FUNCTION OVER FLASH This is what happens when the wine world goes old school. Michael Alberty (M.A.) reviews wines from Washington, Oregon, Canada; Tom Capo (T.C.) reviews wines from Sonoma, California; Reggie Solomon (R.S.) reviews wines from Languedoc, Loire Valley, Beaujolais. T.C.: When many people hear the word “innovation,” they often think of major technological leaps: artificial intelligence, facial recognition, space travel. However, technology is not necessarily synonymous with innovation. In agriculture, real-world innovation often involves tiny adaptations, using available resources in unusual ways to improve results. This can significantly enhance the experience for wine lovers without involving big tech whatsoever. “Real-world innovation often involves tiny adaptations.” R.S.: Tom, I couldn’t agree more with your take on innovative, low-tech, high-impact techniques, particularly as it relates to regenerative farming. Considering global warming, extreme drought in the…

The Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide

The Buying Guide includes ratings and reviews of new-release and selected older beverage alcohol products evaluated by Wine Enthusiast magazine’s editors and other qualified tasters. STAFF EDITORS Anna-Christina Cabrales: Burgundy, Rhône Valley Cody Wexler: Provence WRITERS AT LARGE Michael Alberty: Oregon, Washington, Canada Elaine Chukan Brown: Napa Valley Danielle Callegari: Tuscany & Southern Italy Tom R. Capo: Sonoma County Cheron Cowan: Virginia Mike DeSimone: Spain, Croatia, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia Matt Kettmann: Central & South Coast California Kara Newman: Spirits, RTD Christina Pickard: Australia, New Zealand, England, New York Tonya Pitts: Northern California & California AVA Jeff Porter: Piedmont & Northern Italy Emily Saladino: Greece, Georgia, Hungary Reggie Solomon: Beaujolais, Loire Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon Jesica Vargas: South America & South Africa Roger Voss: Portugal, France: Bordeaux, Champagne, Southwest & Other France Aleks Zecevic: Alsace, Vin de France, Austria, Germany TASTING METHODOLOGY AND GOALS All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind.…

CHARDONNAY 95 Brick & Mortar 2020 Manchester Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay (Mendocino Ridge). The Mendocino Ridge AVA is a cool-climate area. For fans of high-energy wines, it is a region not to be missed. This wine is bright, lifted with aromas of citrus blossom, apple, pear, white nectarine, dried apricot, spice and mineral on the nose. The flavors on the palate are Meyer lemon, pink grapefruit, kaffir lime and vanilla cream, sliding into sedimentary rock, saline, dried herbs and a dry, mouthwatering finish. Pair with whole rockfish with seasonal vegetables. —T.P. abv: 12.5% Price: $85 95 Failla 2022 Estate Chardonnay (Fort Ross-Seaview). Minerality and tension reign in this offering of biodynamically farmed, higher-elevation, coastal Chardonnay. The nose gives aromas of apple blossom, Meyer lemon and river rock, while the palate exhibits vibrant tension between…

PINOT NOIR 94 Project M 2022 Personify Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley). While tasting the Personify, I wrote “wow” and “really, wow.” This wine hits a chord with its perfume-worthy tart blackberry, lavender and powdery talc aromas. The Personify also has the rare combination of super-brisk acidity and sturdy tannins, which comes in handy when it comes to balancing the wine’s concentrated blackberry and black tea flavors. Enjoy 2024–2037. Cellar Selection. —M.A. abv: 13.9% Price: $40 94 Trisaetum 2022 Estates Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley). Dark raspberry aromas encircle the head, while notes of violets and fresh-baked bread whisper promises. The fruit gets darker on the palate, with blackberries joining forces with vanilla crème brûlée and anise. Ample acidity and tannis that ripple like muscles are impressive. Enjoy 2024–2038. Cellar Selection. —M.A. abv: 13.4% Price:…

CHARDONNAY 95 CheckMate 2020 Queen’s Advantage Combret Vineyard Chardonnay (Okanagan Valley). Made with fruit from vines that are now half a century old, the Queen’s Advantage offers a compelling combination of a fuller mouthfeel and blazing acidity. The wine’s aromas are a mix of Bosc pear, jasmine, candle wax and a hint of wet slate. Flavors of a lemon tart with fresh-grated ginger and saline go on and on. Try this graceful Chardonnay with grilled halibut and moonlight. CheckMate. Editors’ Choice. —M.A. abv: 13.3% Price: $100 94 Little Engine 2021 Silver Chardonnay (Okanagan Valley). This impressive Chardonnay from the shores of Lake Okanagan smells like chilled Golden Delicious apple slices mixed with honeycomb and clean, crisp, mineral-laden well water. Gentle acidity and a silky texture complement tangy flavors of tangerines and lemon verbena…

MALBEC 94 Achaval-Ferrer 2020 Finca Altamira Malbec (Uco Valley). The winery’s Finca series showcases wines that present a true expression of their place of origin. Coming from old vineyards in Paraje Altamira, this Malbec has the tension of wines from this region. Cranberries and mulberries on the nose introduce fleshy plums and blackberries on the ripe palate. The long list of flavors includes balanced notes of chocolate, rosemary and thyme. Drink now–2034. Stoli Group USA. Editors’ Choice. —J.V. abv: 15% Price: $NA 94 Achaval-Ferrer 2020 Finca Bella Vista Malbec (Luján de Cuyo). This wine has the ripe and floral character of Malbec from the Luján de Cuyo department. The fruit was sourced from vineyards that grow at 3,240 feet in the Perdriel sub-region. Aromas of violets and plums are inviting. It has a…

RED WINES MOULIN-À-VENT 96 Château du Moulin-à-Vent 2021 La Rochelle (Moulin-à-Vent). Moulin-à-Vent stands on its own and is worthy of the Premier Cru status it is seeking. Beautiful, savory aromas greet you on the nose with shy raspberry resting in the wings whispering to Darjeeling tea, dried hay and black plum. The midpalate is a lesson in complexity, even-handedness and restraint. Chateau du Moulin-à-Vent proprietor Éduoard Parinet says, “I want to bring Moulin-à-Vent back to the Grand Cru reputation it deserves,” and he is doing so indeed with gorgeous wines like this one that you don’t want to stop sipping. Wilson Daniels Ltd. Editors’ Choice. —R.S. abv: 13% Price: $NA 95 Château du Moulin-à-Vent 2021 Champ de Cour (Moulin-à-Vent). Simply, a beautiful Moulin-à-Vent. Fragrant aromas of blackberry, red raspberry, black tea, field-grass fronds, black…

CAVA 94 Marqués de la Concordia 2021 Reserva de la Familia Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature (Cava). With a bold display of effervescence, this wine has a nose of Bartlett pear, just-baked croissant and lemon zest. It delights the tongue with enduring flavors of nectarine, Gala apple, lemon curd, toasted almond and vanilla. There is a beautiful tension between dazzling acidity and a soft sense of creaminess. W. Direct. Editors’ Choice. —M.D. abv: 12% Price: $43 93 Marqués de la Concordia 2021 Reserva de la Familia Brut Rosé (Cava). The palest of pinks, this wine has delicate perlage and a bouquet of red currant, lemon zest and freshly baked croissant. Flavors of guava, cantaloupe, sage leaf, rose petal and hazelnut mingle with brilliant acidity and soft effervescence. W. Direct. Editors’ Choice. —M.D. abv: 12%…

RED WINES DOURO 95 Quinta do Vallado 2021 Vinha da Granja (Douro). This is a field blend of 32 different varieties from a single vineyard of old vines. Planted in 1929, the vines are low yield, giving a concentrated wine with rich tannins and a powerfully dense texture. Drink this impressive wine from 2027. Quintessential. —R.V. abv: 14% Price: $270 94 Quinta da Foz 2022 (Douro). This 1872 estate is planted spectacularly on precipitous slopes as the Pinhão River joins the Douro. The wine comes from the oldest parcels on the estate, a densely rich wine with dark tannins and a fine future. Drink from 2027. DHI Selections. Cellar Selection. —R.V. abv: 13.5% Price: $40 94 Quinta das Carvalhas 2020 Carvalhas Old Vines (Douro). More than a century old, these vines come from the spectacular vineyard…

RIESLING 94 Lesehof Stagård 2020 Ried Pfaffenberg Late Release Riesling (Kremstal). This vivid, medium-bodied wine has a silky texture and chalky feel, surrounding ripe lime, white cherry, passion fruit and orchard fruit. It reveals lacy floral accents with the perfectly ripened fruit underscored by powerful acidity, which gives it energy and carries this to a long conclusion. Schatzi Wines. —A.Z. abv: 13% Price: $50 93 Bründlmayer 2021 Ried Heiligenstein 1ÖTW Alte Reben Riesling (Kamptal). Rich aromas and flavors of spice, grapefruit, wet stone and smoke are concentrated and complex in this medium-bodied Riesling. The midpalate is accented by glazed citrus and apricot notes, while the powerful finish comes back with extra freshness and precision. Skurnik Wines, Inc. —A.Z. abv: 13% Price: $90 93 Georg Frischengruber 2022 Ried Goldberg Smaragd Riesling (Wachau). Subtle and evocative, though…

SAUVIGNON BLANC 94 Clos Henri 2023 Otira Glacial Stones Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough). A vibrant light gold color, this complex Sauvignon, from one of Marlborough’s top producers, is, frankly, a bargain for the quality. There’s a thread of salty, flinty minerality that runs through white grapefruit, lime and passion fruit notes. A pithy, crunchy texture and a punch of citrus flavor lingers on the long finish. A classy drop. Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd. Editors’ Choice. —C.P. abv: 14.1% Price: $28 94 Clos Henri 2022 Waimaunga Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough). There’s an explosion of raw energy to this single-vineyard, biodynamically farmed Sauvignon Blanc, like lime pith, pineapple rind, popcorn kernels, beeswax and a wild meadow. The palate is beautifully textured, the bright acidity taking a back seat to the richness of flavor and silky…

WHITE WINES 94 Vina Matoševic 2021 Alba Robinia Malvazija (Istria). Medium straw colored, this wine has a bouquet of carambola, crème brûlée and honeysuckle. A soft floral note joins white peach, jasmine, lemongrass and dried apricot flavors set into a full-textured wine with well-matched acidity. Notes of wildflowers and bright citrus fruit endure on the palate. VOS Selections. Hidden Gem. —M.D. abv: 13.5% Price: $22 94 Vina Matoševic 2020 Alba Robinia Malvazija (Istria). Aromas of pineapple, white chocolate and almond blossom set the stage for flavors of passion fruit, dried apricot, orange blossom and thyme. With a full texture and vivid acidity, this wine offers a bright, lingering finish with a touch of florality. VOS Selections. —M.D. abv: 13.5% Price: $22 94 Saints Hills 2023 Frenchie White Blend (Istria). This light straw-colored wine has aromas…

NEW BOURBONS We’re not (only) in Kentucky anymore. Are we living in a golden age of bourbon? Most likely, as stocks of America’s iconic corn-based whiskey remain high, and producers continue to roll out memorable new bottlings. Bourbon remains popular in the U.S. and beyond. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., global sales of American whiskey, including bourbon, spiked in the last decade to reach $5.1 billion in 2023. And looking ahead, global bourbon sales are anticipated to outpace the growth of most other whiskey types, overtaking even Scotch, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, driven by interest in “premium” brands. Others prove that bourbon doesn’t have to be expensive. Luckily, plenty of great new bottles are available to fill glasses. Some of these are high-end or limited editions, such as a…

Last Drop: Wellness ≠ Wineless

“You must admit, going from a career in fitness to a career in wine, that’s very unusual,” he said to me during a winemaker’s dinner at Chateau Lynch Bages, hosted by the Institute of Master of Wine. He—a tenured MW himself; me, a lowly prospect. He looked at me in earnest; I stared back blankly. Is anyone’s career path a straight trajectory? It is true that my background is in health and fitness. For years I made a career out of it. One-on-one training, group classes, special needs—you name it, I did it. I trained everyone from novice gym-goers to professional athletes and all sorts in between. But that was never the ambition. My fitness career was one of happenstance, not my own volition. It was the result of graduating during…

Last Drop: Wellness ≠ Wineless

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