Wine Spectator February 28, 2018

FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL OUR WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS TOP STORIES OF 2017 The most popular articles, blogs, Q&As, tasting reports, videos and Unfiltered items of 2017. Find out what you missed or revisit your favorites in our News & Features section. WINE PICKS Keep on top of exciting editors’ picks throughout the year with our free email newsletters. Sips & Tips features a great value Wine of the Week. The twice-monthly Collecting letter highlights collectibles and highly recommended cellar-worthy wines. Our Private Guide to Dining spotlights great bottles to choose from restaurant wine lists. VALENTINE’S DAY The way to anyone’s heart is a night of great food and wine, and we’ve got just what you need: Try a recipe from one of the country’s top chefs, start and end the date with outstanding sparkling…

Every buyer is looking for value, whether shopping for clothes, cars or coffee. Smart buyers do their homework. We consult friends and experts; we compare costs and benefits. Once we feel confident in our information, we make our choices. When it comes to wine, the multitude of options can make choosing feel especially complicated, at times even risky. Prices for a single bottle can range from less than $5 to more than $500; a single store may carry thousands of bottles. This issue aims to help you find great wine values among the throng. Our cover package focuses on wineries around the world that consistently deliver high quality in a price range many readers favor. We asked our editors to highlight wineries from their respective tasting beats that produce multiple wines in…

I Love/Hate New York Readers voiced conflicting perspectives on our New York City cover story (Oct 15 & 31, 2017). Below is a sampling of the comments we received. Your well-researched and beautifully photographed issue on New York City is outstanding. I have no hope of ever visiting this intriguing city but appreciated reading about the neighborhoods, parks, hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, museums and other features that I come across in novels, films, articles and news reports. The substantive interviews with chefs, artists, entrepreneurs, and literary figures were also enlightening. Now I have a go-to resource when I want to learn more about what New York City and its community members have to offer. Cathie West Colville, Wash. I have no plans to visit New York in the foreseeable future, so I am tired of…

The global market for wine continues to grow more sophisticated and discerning. Consumers in emerging markets are turning to international wines in increasing numbers. A booming middle class in China is looking for quality at a decent price. In the United States, table wine sales have risen steadily for 17 years now, hitting 290 million cases in 2016, according to Impact Databank, a sister publication of Wine Spectator. And sparkling wine has popped dramatically, with sales climbing more than 40 percent since 2010, hitting 20 million cases in 2016. Consumers continue to trade up, showing a willingness to spend more for better wine. Because the public has so many options to choose from, wineries need to aim high. At Wine Spectator, editors reviewed nearly 16,000 newly released wines in independent blind…

Baron Eric de Rothschild, chairman of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR), the wine company that includes the Bordeaux first-growth Château Lafite Rothschild, has announced a once-in-a-generation transition in leadership. In March 2018, Saskia de Rothschild will move into her father’s position as chairman, while Jean-Guillaume Prats will succeed Christophe Salin, the company’s current president and CEO. “Christophe Salin and I have spent more than 30 years working together, and I am extremely grateful for what he has achieved during this period,” said Baron de Rothschild, who will remain managing partner at Lafite. “We are happy to welcome a new tandem, which will lead the group to new heights.” The château has been owned by the same branch of the Rothschild family since 1868. Eric de Rothschild, 77, took over the chairmanship in…

Competition is about to get even stiffer in the U.S. wine and spirits market’s wholesale tier. The current Nos. 2 and 3 alcohol wholesalers— Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) and Breakthru Beverage Group, respectively—announced plans to merge on Nov. 20. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is scheduled to be completed late in the second quarter of 2018. It comes just a year after a merger created the $17.5 billion distribution giant Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Together, the combined RNDCBreakthru will have sales approaching $14 billion, with operations in 30 markets and a market share of about 25 percent. With that kind of clout, the new company will present Southern Glazer’s with a formidable new competitor, boasting a comparable scale and scope. The new company will represent a who’s…