Wine Spectator March 31, 2019

FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS WINE & HEALTH In “Top Health Topics of 2018” we share the past year’s biggest news and most provocative questions regarding moderate drinking and its role in brain health, aging, diabetes, cancer and more. Keep on top of the latest research with our regular Health News reports, ask questions in Wine & Health Q&A and sign up for Wine & Healthy Living, our twice-monthly e-letter. VALENTINE’S DAY We’re sure your darling will be impressed when you whip up a recipe from a top chef, present the perfect wine pairing and wrap up with a delicious dessert. We’ve got everything you need to make this romantic day a success. And if dining out is more appealing than dining in, be sure to choose a restaurant with a…

This issue focuses on three key benchmarks in the world of wine. The most prominent is Bordeaux, France’s premier winegrowing region, a global behemoth. In 2016, a great vintage for its Cabernet-based wines, Bordeaux’s top estates have produced classic reds, hallmark bottlings that will blossom in the cellar and appreciate in value for years to come. Senior editor James Molesworth, our lead taster for Bordeaux, reviewed nearly 600 wines from the 2016 vintage, in independent blind tastings conducted in our New York headquarters and on location in Bordeaux. The Left Bank regions of Pauillac, St.-Estephe and St.-Julien are the sweet spots for quality. Pinot Noir is flourishing in Oregon, where an alluring style is developing, particularly in the Willamette Valley. The state’s 800 wineries now work with nearly 20,000 acres of Pinot Noir,…

Turf War In response to James Laube’s editorial “The Creep of Cannabis” (columns, Dec. 31, 2018 – Jan. 15, 2019), I find it very sad that both wine and cannabis can’t share equal territory at the same time. But I do have to say that if it came down to it, you can call me anytime and I will help harvest the grapes. One has to decide what is truly important in life, and of course wine will always win out. Toni Spott Milwaukee The New and the News The Nov. 30 issue was exceptional in covering vintners and the excitement of new introductions (“Southern Rhone, cover). And the article “Where Water Became Wine” (Grapevine) was most interesting upon the discovery of the tunnel markings denoting “Kyrie lesou.” Fred Rambeau New Orleans Rio Regulars I enjoyed reading Harvey Strait’s…

Looking to get fit in 2019? It’s not always easy, especially if you love good food and great wine. Fitness and diet gurus offer advice, but they don’t always remember that calories shouldn’t keep you from Cabernet. How about sommeliers and chefs, for whom wine is both a passion and a paycheck? Restaurant work is notoriously grueling, and the somms and chefs from Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners we spoke to take a variety of approaches to wellness. But the routines they follow aren’t just for restaurant workers; casual connoisseurs of the good life may find some handy tips too. For Anncherie Saludo, beverage director at Award of Excellence winner L’Artusi in New York, moderation is key. “For alcohol, I make sure to take days off,” she says. “Tasting for work is…

Chefs and Wineries Provide Wildfire Relief in California Though Napa and Sonoma were largely spared from wildfires in 2018, the rest of the Pacific Coast was not so lucky. To help, the state’s wine and dining industries stepped in after the November 2018 fires in Butte County and Malibu displaced tens of thousands of people. The most high-profile of the initiatives is chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), which has fed displaced and hungry victims of natural disasters from Puerto Rico to Indonesia. Andrés, who has reportedly been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, was in California with area chefs, including Tyler Florence and Guy Fieri, as well as 1,000 volunteers, among them restaurant owners from Paradise, Calif., who lost their homes. WCK staff told Wine Spectator that they cooked 267,000 meals…

Albert Frère Albert Frère, co-owner of Bordeaux’s famed Château Cheval-Blanc in St.-Emilion, died Dec. 3 at age 92. The Belgian billionaire partnered with Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, to acquire the legendary estate in 1998. “I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend,” said Arnault in a statement. “Albert was an extraordinary man and a truly exceptional entrepreneur.” Frère was the wealthiest man in Belgium, with a fortune estimated at $5.8 billion. At age 17 he left school to run his family’s nail business. Within three decades, he dominated Belgium’s steel industry. He later sold his steel company and created Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, a major holding company. In addition to Cheval-Blanc, Arnault and Frère bought Château Quinault l’Enclos, also in St.-Emilion, in 2008. “He was both a businessman and…