Wine

From flat bottles to plastic-free packaging and lighter containers, companies across the globe are working on ways to reduce the wine industry’s ecological footprint. Recently, an Australian wine company has thrown its hat into the ring with label-free—meaning paper- and ink-free—bottles. This year, Fourth Wave Wine launched its new, sustainability-focused brand, Crate, created with branding

Michael Mina has had a busy year so far. Fresh from revamping his Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence–winning Stripsteak in Las Vegas, the chef-restaurateur unveiled a new Italian restaurant, Sorelle, in Charleston, S.C., in February. A collaboration with Charleston’s Beemok Hospitality Collection, Sorelle is Mina’s first South Carolina establishment and joins an acclaimed

One of Italian wine’s signature events—OperaWine: Finest Italian Wines—returned with a roar on April 1 in Verona, attracting close to 2,500 global wine professionals for a tasting of some of Italy’s great and historic wines. Developed by Wine Spectator in partnership with Vinitaly and Veronafiere, OperaWine comes on the eve of Verona’s massive four-day annual

Dick Erath, a pioneering winemaker and grower who helped lay the foundation for today’s thriving Willamette Valley wine industry, died March 29. He was 87. Erath had been in ill health in recent months and passed away in Vancouver, Wash., where he lived for many years. Erath was among a small group of like-minded wine

Silicon Valley Bank’s assets and liabilities have been bought by First Citizens Bank & Trust, a North Carolina–based bank that has been quietly growing over the last decade, now one of the 20 largest banks in the United States. First Citizens is taking on $110 billion in assets, $56 billion in deposits and $72 billion

Champagne Henriot has new owners … again. Six months after Artémis Domaines bought majority control of Maisons & Domaines Henriot, which included the Champagne house as well as Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy, William Fèvre in Chablis and Beaux Frères in Oregon, the Pinault family-owned firm has announced it will sell Champagne Henriot to

After more than 17 years producing some of Tuscany’s most renowned wines in Bolgheri, Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heniz is going back to Bordeaux. Wine Spectator has learned that Lawrence Wine Estates has hired Heinz to serve as CEO of Château Lascombes. Partners Gaylon Lawrence and Carlton McCoy purchased the Margaux second growth six months ago.

World Central Kitchen (WCK), the charitable organization founded by chef José Andrés that has served nearly 300 million meals to communities in need in more than 45 countries, has announced that Erin Gore will be taking the reins as chief executive officer. For almost four years, Gore has led WCK’s philanthropic relationships and development team,

Along with opening a new restaurant in White Plains, N.Y., and another in Manhattan, acclaimed chef-restaurateur David Burke has brought his flair to Rhode Island, his first location in the state. Earlier this month, Burke and David Burke Hospitality Management (DBHM) took over food and beverage operations at the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences in

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) reached new heights in early February, as 675 wine lovers gathered in a tent outside the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón to bid on lots combining luxurious travel and culinary experiences with rare wines. The auction, which benefits the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF), has firmly established itself as the

How do some of the world’s most successful chefs, somms and winemakers balance wine and health? Red Rooster chef-owner Marcus Samuelsson and Frasca somm-owner Bobby Stuckey join the latest episode of Straight Talk to share how they keep perspective—and keep fit. Host James Molesworth and Wine Spectator senior editor Kristen Bieler take a closer look at our Wine

On Thursday, March 9, a customer brought a single bottle of wine to the sales counter at Sherry-Lehmann, the legendary Manhattan wine and spirits shop. The sale was rung up by a rookie salesperson. Then the customer flashed a badge. He was an enforcement agent for the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA). Acting general

Bordeaux grapegrowers are planning to tear out almost 23,500 acres of vines—and they’re thrilled. After nine months of negotiations with local, regional and national government representatives, on March 1 the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) reached an agreement with Marc Fesneau, France’s minister of agriculture and food sovereignty, for financing the vine pull. These uprooting efforts

What more could a four-day festival packed with incredible dinners and tastings spotlighting some of the world’s most renowned chefs offer? How about a partnership with the world’s leading wine magazine? The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (PBFWF) has announced a joint venture with Wine Spectator, part of a plan to expand the growing

Burgundy’s second most famous charity auction is grabbing a lot more attention these days. On March 12, the 62nd edition of the Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges auction will take place both online and at its usual location, Château du Clos de Vougeot in Burgundy. This is the fourth year in a row that the Hospices has

On Feb. 17, the Quality Branded restaurant group opened Bad Roman at the Deutsch Bank Center (formerly the Time Warner Center) in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle. With picturesque views over Central Park, the restaurant occupies the space formerly used by chef Marc Murphy’s Landmarc, which closed in 2019. It joins a celebrated portfolio, including sibling restaurants

Scientists collaborating across the globe have unlocked a new, astounding origin story for wine grapes, pushing back the domestication of Vitis vinifera, the grape species used for most winemaking, to more than 11,000 years ago. The findings suggest humans domesticated grapevines around the same time period they domesticated the first cereal plants. “The grapevine was

Two weeks after Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the North Island of New Zealand, residents are still assessing the destruction. The storm is already considered the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere, with damages estimated to be upward of $8 billion. The cyclone, which killed at least 11 people, hit the farming and winegrowing

The world of prestige rosé is consolidating. Moët-Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH, has purchased a majority stake in the fast-growing Provence estate Château Minuty. Fourth-generation owners Jean-Etienne and François Matton will remain at the helm of the winery their family founded in Saint-Tropez in 1936. Minuty is credited with helping establish the

Chile’s firefighting efforts continue, nearly three weeks after hundreds of fires erupted in several Southern provinces, burning more than one million acres, destroying more than 2,100 homes and businesses, and killing at least 25 people. According to officials, dozens of uncontrolled fires are still burning in and around Concepicon province, which lies 350 miles south