Víctor Urrutia has been closely following the wildfires raging across different parts of Spain this summer. He has to—he’s the co-owner, with his sister María, of estates in five Spanish wine regions, including the historic CVNE (Compania Vinicola del Norte de España) winery in Rioja. As Europe has experienced one of its hottest summers on
Month: July 2022
AXA Millésimes, the wine subsidiary of French insurance company AXA, has purchased Platt Vineyard from Russian River Partners, a vineyard investment fund managed by Eric Flanagan of Flanagan Wines in Healdsburg. The 38-acre vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast wine region near the town of Freestone. The price was not disclosed, but permits are
In 2021, one of New York City’s most luxurious institutions, the NoMad hotel, shut its doors. This followed the departure of acclaimed chef and Eleven Madison Park owner Daniel Humm, who had overseen the hotel’s Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning NoMad restaurant before breaking in 2020 with its then-owner, Sydell Group. Earlier this summer, the NoMad’s
The people of Japan have some of the highest life expectancies in the world, at an average of 85 years. But as they live longer, what dietary, fitness or socioeconomic factors affect health as they age? Exploring cognitive function, researchers at Osaka University and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology recently collected health and lifestyle
The announcements came from different wine regions on different continents, but the message was the same. Last week, both Favia in Napa Valley and Allegrini in Valpolicella announced that some of their wines would now be sold and distributed around the world not by local merchants but by the French négociants of La Place de
The canned wine market is being pulled in different directions. One way is chock full of affordable, mass-produced, widely available products of middling quality, often sharing shelf space with ready-to-drink cocktails and hard seltzers. The other, and perhaps more intriguing, path is in the premium sector—higher-priced wines made from quality grapes by well-known winemakers, giving
In June, celebrated New York–based chef François Payard and restaurateur Adam Lovett opened a new restaurant on Long Island’s North Fork: Southold Social. The former owner of the now-closed Payard Patisserie & Bistro restaurants, Payard built his reputation as a pastry chef at French icons La Tour d’Argent and Lucas Carton before moving to New
Star winemakers and celebrity guests came together for Wineapawlooza’s ninth-annual charity wine auction on June 25, raising more than $2.2 million for Napa’s Jameson Humane. The total is a big increase from last year’s virtual auction results of $1.4 million and a new high total for the event. The live auction, which raised $1.75 million,
New York City’s summer Restaurant Week is back for its 30th anniversary, with reservations now open for specially priced lunches and dinners from July 18 through August 21. Encompassing all five boroughs, the month-long program features more than 600 restaurants, including 60 of Wine Spectator’s 2022 Restaurant Award winners. Each year, Wine Spectator honors restaurants
Oregon Pinot Noir country has a new wine appellation. The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the Mount Pisgah American Viticultural Area (AVA) on June 3, and the designation went into effect July 5. The approval brings the total number of appellations in the Evergreen State to 23. Mount Pisgah, Polk
What do your heart and an open bottle of wine have in common? Oxidative stress plays a critical role in damaging both. But that open bottle of wine could actually help protect your heart. In new findings, a group of Greek researchers from Harokopio University found that coronary heart disease (CHD) patients who consumed wine
A change in owners is underway at one of the top wineries in Bordeaux’s Sauternes region. Bérénice Lurton has sold a majority stake in Barsac’s Château Climens to Jean-Hubert Moitry and his family for an undisclosed amount. “Acquiring a wine estate in the Bordeaux region corresponds to a longstanding family dream with my spouse,” said
What’s your wine story? Is there a specific bottle that made you fall in love with wine—or even changed your life? A wine trip that you’ll remember forever or that you’ve been dreaming about for years? A special ritual you have for enjoying wine or ways you incorporate it into your everyday life? A particularly