Wine Spectator

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Oregon’s Willamette Valley has been on a remarkable run over the past decade, and in this issue it returns to our cover for the first time since March 31, 2020—heralded by the story behind one of the region’s most influential winemakers, Véronique Drouhin. The Drouhin family first stepped into Oregon in 1987, and their decision to plant vineyards and build a gravity-flow winery helped signal to the world the extraordinary potential of this cool-climate region. As senior editor Tim Fish chronicles, Drouhin has played a central role in shaping Oregon’s identity, even while continuing her work in France. In that way, her wines represent a link between Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and its Burgundian inspiration while remaining distinctly American. Today, Domaine Drouhin Oregon farms hundreds of acres of vineyards and…

Chef’s Seal of Approval Thank you for the insightful article on chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten (cover, Nov. 30, 2025). I’ve never had the privilege to eat at one of his restaurants, but I had a distant encounter that confirmed my good taste. A few Decembers ago, I was lunching with a friend at our favorite spot, Cafésano, a wonderful casual Mediter-ranean restaurant. From my window booth, I saw someone who looked quite familiar sitting with a lovely woman. Could it be Jean-Georges? If so, my good taste in the best of local eats would be confirmed. Once home, I double-checked online to make sure what I had seen was accurate. The lovely lady, his wife, is from the [Virginia] area and it was close to Christmas so it made sense that…

The celebration by lovers of French, Italian and other imported wines was short-lived. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods, ruling that the duties were improperly imposed when the White House relied on a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The decision meant that wine importers no longer faced high duties when bringing in foreign wines and that domestic wineries were spared tariffs on many of the goods they use in production. But speaking a few hours later, Trump announced he would be imposing a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Within a day he upped that to a threat of 15%, though that higher rate had not taken effect…

Crimson Wine Group has added Sonoma Chardonnay specialist Raeburn Winery to its portfolio. The $35 million purchase includes the brand and inventory but no winery or vineyards. Raeburn, which makes about 250,000 cases annually, is particularly well-known for Chardonnays sold for between $15 and $25. “I think that people who know Crimson well understand why this was a really good acquisition,” Crimson CEO Jennifer Locke told Wine Spectator. “As a company, we fly a little bit under the radar, and Raeburn has also kind of flown under the radar.” Crimson Wine Group is a midsize wine company founded in 1991 that owns about 1,000 acres of vineyards in California, Oregon and Washington. The company owns California’s Pine Ridge, Seghesio and Chamisal; Archery Summit in Oregon; and Seven Hills and Double…

Ted Conklin Theodore “Ted” Conklin III, owner, sommelier and hotelier of Grand Award winner the American Hotel in Sag Harbor, New York, died Feb. 1. He was 77. The cause was bladder cancer complications. Conklin was key to revitalizing the town of Sag Harbor on Long Island’s East End. The American Hotel won an inaugural Wine Spectator Grand Award in 1981 and has held that honor for nearly five decades, with Conklin at the helm as wine director—blazer on, pocket square freshly folded. With a cellar full of well-priced bottles and a kitchen focused on comforting French classics, Conklin lured celebrities and literati alike to the hotel. The cellar holds 25,000 bottles today. “He had great taste—always bought the finest of the fine,” said importer and longtime friend Michael Skurnik.…