Wine Spectator October 15, 2021

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Free resources for all WINESPECTATOR.COM readers WINE SPECTATOR’S VIDEO CONTEST: IT’S TIME TO VOTE! The finalists for Wine Spectator’s 15th annual Video Contest will be revealed on Sept. 13; then it’s your job to pick the winner! Voting will be open from Sept. 13 to midnight, Sept. 19, and this year’s winner will be revealed on Sept. 22. LABOR DAY We recruit leading chefs and cookbook authors to share their favorite end-of-summer recipes. Plus, Wine Spectator editors pick well-priced, highly rated wines to enjoy over the long weekend. STRAIGHT TALK WITH WINE SPECTATOR is an Instagram Live series featuring conversations with wine-and-food newsmakers. Recent editions have spotlighted actors-vintners Kyle MacLachlan, Kurt Russell and Sarah Jessica Parker, Penfolds’ Peter Gago, California winemakers Justin Smith and Thomas Brown, and chefs Eric Ripert and Emeril Lagasse.…

the tenacity of cristie kerr

I’ve met few people more passionate about life, or wine, than Cristie Kerr. While she has achieved an extraordinary career in professional golf, it is her love of wine that has propelled her over the past decade and promises a bright future. Kerr’s proficiency as a golfer was apparent from an early age; she played in her first National Junior tournament at just 12 years old. Over the next few decades, she has gone on to earn 20 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour wins and 22 professional wins, crowned by the U.S. Women’s Open in 2007 and the LPGA championship in 2010. She is America’s top-earning female golfer of all time. In our cover story, senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec reports how Kerr is bringing the same drive and dedication that made…

ste. michelle wine estates sold

One of the largest wine producers in the U.S. is set to change hands. As first reported by Shanken News Daily, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, a driving force behind the Washington wine industry over the past few decades, is being sold by corporate parent Altria to New York–based private equity firm Sycamore Partners in a deal worth $1.2 billion. According to Impact Databank, a sister publication to Wine Spectator, Ste. Michelle ranked as the eighth-largest wine marketer in the U.S. last year, with 7.3 million cases in sales, led by the Chateau Ste. Michelle and 14 Hands brands, which account for about 3.1 million cases and 1.3 million cases, respectively. David Dearie, a veteran wine executive who became Ste. Michelle’s CEO last fall, says that he and his team are slated to…

icons leave st.-émilion classification

Famed Bordeaux châteaus Cheval-Blanc and Ausone have withdrawn from the St.-Émilion classification, their decision reverberating through the region like a clap of thunder. June 30 was the last day to submit the lengthy applications necessary to be considered for the 2022 renewal of the rankings, which are typically reviewed once a decade. To the astonishment of some and resignation of many, two dossiers were missing—those of Château Cheval-Blanc, owned by LVMH and the Frère family, and Château Ausone, owned by the Vauthier family. Both estates have been ranked in the classification’s top category, Premier Grand Cru Classé A, since the inception of the rankings in the 1950s. “We had planned on presenting our candidacy, but the list of criteria for evaluation moves too far from what we feel is fundamental: the terroir,…

a trip to space and $100 million gifts

After an 11-minute space flight that took him 66.5 miles above the Earth, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos improved life on the planet below. Following his trip on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket on July 20, Bezos announced a $100 million award to Jose Andres, renowned chef and cofounder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit that helps feed and support people in disaster-stricken areas around the world, and another to community advocate group Dream Corps, founded by Van Jones. Well-known to our readers, Andres has launched feeding missions in 13 countries, serving some 15 million meals and corralling more than 45,000 volunteers. Andres said he plans for WCK to use the money to expand its mission to fight systemic hunger.…

oregon and washington vineyards face sweltering heat

A historic heat wave that blanketed Oregon and Washington at the end of June had winemakers chewing their nails. After assessing the impact on vineyards, growers reported that damage was negligible, but there’s concern that it’s a sign of worse to come. “As brutal as the heat wave was, the vines did fairly well,” says winegrower Sam Tannahill, a partner in A to Z Wine-works and Rex Hill in Willamette Valley. “We have never seen this level of heat before, so all bets were off.” The heat hit on June 25, with temps growing progressively warmer through June 28. Portland, Ore., broke records, hitting 116° F at one point. Dundee, 30 miles south of Portland and the heart of Willamette Valley, reached an unprecedented 108° F on June 28. “Thankfully, our…