Wine Spectator September 30, 2021

Visit WineSpectator.com/093021 to find links to all of the following resources. FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS 2021 NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE The 40th an-niversary of Wine Spectator’s Wine Experience will feature a world-class lineup of Bordeaux first-growths, Napa cult Cabs, grands crus Burgundies, super Tuscans and much, much more, including the fan-favorite Chefs’ Challenge starring Emeril Lagasse, José Andrés, Eric Ripert and Danny Meyer. The wine world’s signature event will be held Oct. 21–23 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Check out the program at WineSpectator.com/40thNYWE. VIDEO CONTEST Share your wine story to compete for great prizes! Submit your short video to Wine Specta-tor’s 15th annual contest and you could win tickets to our spectacular Wine Experience weekend or a Grand Tast-ing. Entry deadline is Monday, Aug. 30. Check out the…

Not a week goes by that I don’t enjoy a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. I find that these delicious reds go with pretty much every meal on my table. I realize that that may break some rules of tradi-tional wine matching, but it’s how I feel. For our cover story this issue, Kim Marcus, our lead taster on California Pinot Noir, ventured off the beaten path, traversing seemingly endless miles of gravel roads and steep slopes into the rugged terrain of the northwest Sonoma Coast. Many of the earliest-planted vineyards here date only to the 1980s. There is little in the way of tasting rooms, restaurants or accommoda-tions, but the terroir is proving ideal for Pinot Noir—especially the remote appellation called Fort Ross–Seaview. It’s the source of standout wines from Flowers,…

Pot Perspectives When I received my copy of the June 15 & 30 issue, promising a report on “Cannabis in Wine Country,” I rolled my eyes. Was this to be an essay of where to buy buds or advice on marijuana/wine pairings, or perhaps the launching of Dope Spectator? I have no doubt that some readers would have been pleased had this been the case. However, Aaron Romano’s section was really fascinating, raising very important political, economic, and social issues that affect the competition between these two agricultural powerhouses and the way that different locales handled this “invader.” I was captured by his profound and balanced reportage, as well as the bravery of the editors to assign the project. Of all of the articles that I have read in the last several…

Wine lovers had to wait an additional year to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience, with the event canceled last year due to the pandemic, but if ticket sales for this fall’s Wine Experience are any indication, they’re intent on making up for lost time. Tickets for the 40th annual New York Wine Experience went on sale June 2, and full weekend packages sold out in two weeks. The wine world’s signature event will be held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square Oct. 21–23. Attendance will be limited this year to ensure maximum health safety. Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the event is required in order to participate. “I am both pleased and very surprised that the 40th Anniversary edition…

Delicato Family Wines, one of the faster-growing wine companies in California, is now adding the sizable brands of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery portfolio. The company announced June 24 that it is acquiring the wines and brand names of FFCW, including the Diamond Collection, Director’s Cut and Sofia, as well as the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Virginia Dare Winery facilities and the Archimedes Vineyard, all in Sonoma. The Coppola family will continue to own and operate Inglenook in Napa and Domaine de Broglie, the Oregon Pinot property they purchased in 2018. The purchase price was not disclosed. Until the purchase is final, neither party would discuss future plans for the brands and properties. In a statement, CEO Chris Indelicato said, “There is a strong cultural fit between our two companies,…

In a move cheered by wine importers and U.S. consumers, the U.S. and European Union agreed in June to suspend tariffs related to their long-term dispute over aircraft subsidies for five years. Earlier this year, the U.S. had paused the tariffs for four months, but that window was set to soon expire, adding renewed urgency to the situation for companies across multiple industries, including wine and spirits. The U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on most French, German, Spanish and U.K. wines in October 2019. The move came after 17 years of arguments over E.U. subsidies to Airbus and U.S. tax breaks to Boeing. The E.U. passed its own 25% levies on U.S. rum, brandy and vodka in November 2020. The U.S. retaliated with new tariffs on certain Cognacs and other brandies from…