Jan Shrem, who left an indelible mark on California’s wine industry through his dedication to the arts and charitable generosity, died last month at the age of 94. The founder of Clos Pegase winery in Calistoga, Shrem was also a consummate philanthropist, contributing to The MET Opera, Festival Napa Valley, the San Francisco Museum of
Month: October 2024
Who’s behind it: Time and Tide is the latest Manhattan restaurant from Kent Hospitality Group. The opening comes after a challenging time for the group: This past June, its founder, chef Jamal “James” Kent, died unexpectedly at age 45, a tragedy felt throughout American fine dining. The group subsequently changed its name from Saga Hospitality
Burgundy is the type of wine region that invites delight, fascination and even obsession. Now, Burgundy fans have the chance to buy their very own piece of wine history. On November 12, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) will conduct an auction of retired appellation signs. The signs, which until recently adorned the roadsides and vineyards
When Jeffery Lindenmuth took the stage on the first morning of the 2024 New York Wine Experience, the executive editor of Wine Spectator looked out on a crowd of more than 1,000 people—but they might as well have been family. “When I arrived at the hotel last night, I was riding the elevator with a
Giovanni Manetti didn’t think he was going to make it to the 2024 New York Wine Experience. The growing season was long in Tuscany this year, and grapes for Manetti’s legendary Fontodi winery were still hanging on the vine in mid-October. So he dispatched his son with several cases of their super Tuscan Flaccianello 2008
It’s a story straight out of a Hollywood film. A young prince leaves home to find himself, studies in the U.S., meets a girl, falls in love and becomes a screenwriter for the movies. But his family needs him back in Europe. So he returns to find fulfillment in the vineyards. It sounds cinematic, but
Leading chef and humanitarian José Andrés is always working. But if he chooses to rest, at least he’ll have a new place to do so once he opens his first hotel, the Bazaar House, in the heart of the Georgetown historic district in Washington, D.C. Announced in late September, the boutique hotel will open in
This winter, Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the New York Marriott Marquis hotel are putting a new spin on the View Restaurant & Lounge, New York City’s only revolving restaurant. The original View opened in 1985 atop the Times Square hotel—a popular spot for tourists and large events, including Wine Spectator’s annual New York
The 2024 harvest at Israel’s Daltôn Winery was punctuated by nonstop rocket and drone attacks launched from just across the border in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon. As tractors rolled through the vineyards at night, collecting the last of the Cabernet grapes, the sky was lit up by the glow of exploding rockets and the resulting wildfires
Five years after going public, Duckhorn will be leaving the stock exchange. Executives at the Duckhorn Portfolio announced this morning that Los Angeles-based private equity firm Butterfly has agreed to buy the Napa-based wine powerhouse for $1.95 billion. According to Impact Databank, a sibling publication of Wine Spectator, Duckhorn is the 20th-largest wine marketer in the
A Los Angeles return: After a four-year hiatus, acclaimed restaurant Somni is reopening in West Hollywood, Calif. Somni (meaning “dream” in Catalan) was founded by chef Aitor Zabala and culinary leader and humanitarian José Andrés in 2018; despite being limited to just 10 guests each service, the restaurant rapidly grew in popularity. It also earned
When the final paddle was raised at the newly christened Sonoma County Wine Celebration and live auction last month, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) had raised nearly $1.6 million for local charities. That’s up from last year’s $1.3 million total. The three-day event, which included a welcome reception and country-themed party, culminated with the
Harvest 2024 is in full swing in California wine country. It’s the busiest time of year, and Napa Cabernet superstar Thomas Rivers Brown took a break to tell Wine Spectator‘s Straight Talk podcast host James Molesworth about the realities—and rigors—of harvest season. Brown also shares his “Ziploc baggy mini-maceration method” for determining when a vineyard