Napa Valley Vintners board chair Jack Bittner called the Napa Valley Barrel Auction weekend a “reunion.” And for good reason: It’s been 18 months since NVV announced the discontinuation of the famed Auction Napa Valley, and more than three years since Katy Perry headlined the organization’s last major live auction event. In its place is
Wine
The realm of wine and health research entered uncharted territory with a recent paper assessing the association between alcohol consumption and pituitary gland tumors. Analyzing data from three major studies, researchers found a substantial reduction in risk of developing pituitary adenoma among moderate wine drinkers. Adenomas, which are benign, non-cancerous tumors, can cause headaches, visual
More than 1,000 wine lovers gathered June 4 for Wine Spectator’s first 2022 Grand Tour stop, in Las Vegas, to taste more than 200 outstanding wines from around the world. Crowds were gathered around Orin Swift Cellars‘ booth, tasting the winery’s Eight Years in the Desert red blend. The excitement was further fueled by Wine
Las Vegas has become a mesmerizing city in terms of dining quality, with more and more star chefs and restaurateurs establishing locations in the bustling city. The latest addition to the Strip is RPM Italian, the fifth restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises partners R.J., Jerrod and Molly Melman and celebrity couple Giuliana and Bill
EPI Group, an investment and luxury goods company owned and managed by Christopher Descours, has acquired Chianti Classico estate Isole e Olena. Under the direction of Paolo di Marchi since the 1970s, Isole e Olena, located in San Donato in Poggio, is one of Chianti Classico’s finest estates and has contributed to the region’s success.
Sean Thackrey, who earned a dedicated following for his unconventional wines made at his bare-bones winemaking facility in Marin County, died May 30 following a decade-long battle with cancer. He was 79. Thackrey’s first career was as an art dealer, specializing in 19th century European photography. He made a home in the small town of
Defining California’s Sonoma Coast American Viticulture Area (AVA)—and the wines it produces—has long been challenging. The vast region spans 750 miles, with vineyards near the Mendocino County border in the north to the Carneros border in the south, some 20 miles inland from the Pacific coast. But as of now, wines made from the westernmost
Don’t forget your daily glass of wine if you want to keep a good memory, a new study on alcohol and dementia suggests. While it isn’t breaking news that moderate wine consumption has been linked yet again with a lower risk of developing dementia, a general term used to describe memory loss, researchers at Germany’s
Sotheby’s offered an unprecedented sale of wines from the cellar of Domaine Clarence Dillon’s CEO, Prince Robert de Luxembourg, on May 21, and the response was impressive. Some 4,200 bottles of collectible wines—all 818 lots on offer—were sold during the nine-hour auction, most for above estimate, for a total of more than $6.23 million. And
In a time of war and deep economic anxiety, Bordeaux’s futures campaign has begun, with the first top wineries releasing futures allocations this week. Early indicators suggest price increases will be minimal, with some producers even reducing prices from last year. The big question is whether all the top names will show similar restraint. Château
Once New York–based Major Food Group began investing in Miami, the idea of creating Dirty French Steakhouse in the city was always on the table, according to co-founder Jeff Zalaznick. The original Dirty French, which holds a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, opened in 2014 in the Ludlow Hotel on New York’s Lower
The most impressive auction of Château Haut-Brion wines to date has its roots in two parents trying to care for their son. In 2016, Prince Robert de Luxembourg and his wife, Princess Julie, were devastated to find that their youngest son, Frederik, was gravely ill with a mysterious disease. Frederik was eventually diagnosed with a
The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation held its first fully live auction since 2019 on April 23 and the event’s triumphant return drew over 600 attendees and raised $3.8 million for 16 children’s charities in northwest Florida. The live auction raised $1.8 million more than last year’s hybrid event, which combined some in-person events with
Nine months after being arrested and accused of arson, New York sommelier Caleb Ganzer has reached an agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. New York Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley signed off on the deal April 5. Ganzer, a co-owner and managing director of popular wine bar Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, was accused of
E. Guigal, the prominent Northern Rhône Valley producer, has expanded its holdings in the Southern Rhône with the purchase of Château d’Aquéria in Tavel from the de Bez family. The estate totals 242 acres with 168 under vine. Approximately 100 of those acres are in Tavel while the remaining vines are in the neighboring Lirac
As Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its third month, the hospitality industry continues to step up with creative relief efforts to help refugees and those under attack in the country. Atelier Crenn chef and co-owner Dominique Crenn, who has previously raised money for breast cancer research, is partnering with World Chef—producer of food TV shows
Your next bottle of Prosecco might be delivered in a green Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Gianluca Bisol, president and CEO of Prosecco’s Desiderio Bisol & Figli winery, embarked on April 26 on a 25-day tour of the U.S. in a Verde Montreal–colored 2022 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, provided by the luxury Italian car manufacturer. Desiderio Bisol
Atlanta’s art scene received a $3.1 million boost from the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction in March. The 30th annual event raised its largest total ever for the High Museum’s exhibition and education programs after hosting 2,500 people for a weekend of festivities. The event continues to be one of the top charity wine auctions
From car mechanic and professional photographer to vintner, Jack Cakebread found success no matter where the road took him. Moving to Napa Valley in the 1970s, he launched Cakebread Cellars, and over the next five decades built it into an internationally recognized family-owned winery. Cakebread died April 29 at age 92. Throughout his career, Cakebread
Natasha Hall was processing catastrophe insurance claims when she learned about the Roots Fund. In search of a new path, she reached out to the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to helping minorities enter the wine industry, and now she works as an Atlanta-based wine writer. Hall was one of many Roots Fund scholars who