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Arista Winery, a top-quality producer of Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, has sold its 36-acre estate on Westside Road in the Russian River Valley to Chris Underwood, CEO of Young’s Holdings, Inc. The estate includes eight acres of vines (seven planted with Pinot Noir and one planted with Chardonnay) along with a winery facility and

Peter M.F. Sichel’s life was the stuff of cinematic thrillers. As a young German Jew, he escaped the Nazis and emigrated to America, where he signed up with the predecessor to the CIA. After working as a spy during World War II and the Cold War, he returned to his family’s wine business, where he

When the final gavel struck at this year’s Premiere Napa Valley Auction, the mood in the room was celebratory, as attendees felt optimistic about the future of Napa Valley wines thanks to the promise of the 2023 vintage and the support of the people who make up the wine industry. This year’s auction, held on Feb.

Who’s behind it: Earlier this winter, chef and restaurateur Michael White opened Santi in Midtown Manhattan. Located on the ground floor of Tishman Speyer’s 520 Madison Avenue, this is the latest restaurant—and the first in New York—from BBianco Hospitality, which White co-founded with business partner Bruce Bronster in 2020. But this isn’t White’s first venture

Marchesi Antinori, the Tuscany-based wine company and owner of Napa’s Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, has purchased the Arcadia vineyard from the family of the late Warren Winiarski, bringing a key source of grapes for the Stag’s Leap operation under the winery’s complete control. Arcadia Vineyard is a 135-acre property with 84 planted vineyard acres, divided

In a brief statement to its wine club members, Napa’s Newton Vineyard announced Feb. 13 that the winery is permanently closing. “We have cherished every moment spent crafting exceptional wines and sharing them with our dedicated wine club members,” the announcement read. The winery, owned by luxury giant LVMH since 2001, was destroyed in the

In 1990, on a sleepy corner of Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, chef and restaurateur Drew Neiporent (the force behind fine dining venues Montrachet and Nobu) and Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro caused a stir with the opening of Tribeca Grill. In the decades that followed, the Wine Spectator Grand Award winner’s dining room would

Martine Saunier, who brought the wines of Burgundy’s Henri Jayer and Domaine Leroy and Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château Rayas to America as a trailblazing importer, died Feb. 9 from lung cancer. She was 91. Saunier had an exceptional palate for wine, a clear vision and a fierce determination to follow her own path. For more than 30

What’s happening: Not long after expanding Nancy Silverton’s Italian gem Osteria Mozza to Washington, D.C., restaurateur Stephen Starr announced last week that he purchased an Italian dining landmark in Manhattan, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, along with its less-expensive neighborhood sibling Lupa, from the Bastianich family. Why it matters: One-time star chef Mario Batali opened the restaurant

This story was updated Feb. 3. President Donald J. Trump hit pause on his threat to levy 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Canada after the U.S. and Canada agreed to negotiate for 30 days. The new trade duties had been scheduled to take effect on Feb. 4. The Canadian government had threatened 25 percent tariffs on

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) celebrated its 25th anniversary by raising over $34 million—a record high, beating last year’s total by $1 million—for children’s charities at its annual event on the last weekend in January. The nation’s top-raising charity wine auction gathered around 650 wine lovers under a big tent outside the Ritz-Carlton Naples,

Napa Valley has a new appellation. Thirteen years after Coombsville was created by the federal government as an American Viticultural Area, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has approved Crystal Springs of Napa Valley. Learn more about Crystal Springs as well as other recent developments in Napa in the Jan. 31 – Feb. 29, 2025,

If one thing is certain about the restaurant industry, it’s that things change: Fresh faces come onto the scene, established chefs seek a change of pace, restaurant groups try to tap into up-and-coming trends. Below are eight exciting, upcoming openings that we at Wine Spectator think will stand out in 2025, including a Caribbean-influenced spot

André Soltner, the dedicated French chef behind Lutèce who helped turn New York City into a world-class dining destination, died on Jan. 18. He was 92. From 1961 to 1994, Soltner led the kitchen at his French bistro on Manhattan’s East Side at 50th Street, teaching American diners what classic French techniques could do when