Wine Spectator

Napa Valley is a name known around the world for good living. Of course, there is the world-class wine. Then, there is the California cuisine and enviable climate. Now, Napa has given rise to a global brand in luxury travel that developed from a single resort, Auberge du Soleil, opened in the early 1980s. Billionaire Dan Friedkin bought Auberge in 2013, when it comprised just seven properties. Today, Auberge Resorts Collection operates 26 properties across the United States, Mexico and Europe, with 14 more being built. Locations such as Florence and San Francisco are among those in the works. The company’s newest gem, however, is as much about commitment to Napa as it is a statement of grand ambition. Like Auberge du Soleil, Stanly Ranch, opened in April 2022, is nestled amid…

Cabernet Curious I read with great interest Aaron Romano’s article on Argentine Malbec (“In the Land of Malbec,” Nov. 30, 2022). What about Cabernet Sauvignons from Argentina? I would like to learn more about them. Rubén Corral Tijuana, Mexico Senior editor Aaron Romano replies: Thank you for your interest. Malbec dominates the red wine landscape of Argentina, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for about 10% of the country’s red grape plantings, and within the top region of Mendoza, it accounts for just 5%. Many Cabernet vines have been planted in warmer locales, which has translated to plush and fruit-driven wines (compared to the more structured Cabernets from Chile), while more recently, high-elevation vineyards in Argentina’s Uco Valley are beginning to yield exciting, fresher styles. To the north in Salta, the desert climate and thermal amplitudes…

NEWS | FOOD & TRAVEL | PEOPLE | COLLECTING After more than 17 years producing some of Tuscany’s most renowned wines, Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heinz is going back to Bordeaux, where he grew up. Lawrence Wine Estates has hired the Germany-born Heinz to serve as CEO of second-growth Château Lascombes, which partners Gaylon Lawrence Jr. and Carlton McCoy purchased in 2022. “Axel is a master of his craft, and the work he has done while overseeing Ornellaia and Masseto have taken that already heralded estate to new heights,” said McCoy, CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates. “I am thrilled to work with Axel to bring Château Lascombes to its full potential as one of the greatest wine estates in the world.” Heinz has been estate director of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and Masseto, in the Bolgheri…

What more could a four-day festival packed with incredible dinners and tastings offer? How about a partnership with the world’s leading wine magazine: As part of a plan to expand its program, the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (PBFWF) has announced a joint venture with Wine Spectator. Now in its 16th year, PBFWF will hold its 2023 event Dec. 7–10. Founded by David Sabin and Lindsay Autry, the event celebrates world-class cuisine and top-rated wines and spirits crafted by renowned chefs, winemakers and distillers, allowing food and wine lovers to enjoy the products in a variety of idyllic settings. A highlight of the weekend is the annual Grand Tasting, held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Chefs from dozens of south Florida’s best restaurants and representatives from wineries and distilleries…

Champagne Henriot has new owners … again. Six months after Artémis Domaines bought majority control of Maisons & Domaines Henriot, which included the Champagne house as well as Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy, William Fèvre in Chablis and Beaux Frères in Oregon, the Pinault family-owned firm has announced it will sell Champagne Henriot to Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne (TEVC) for an undisclosed price. TEVC is the owner of Nicolas Feuillatte, the third-largest Champagne brand in the United States by volume, and the largest union of Champagne cooperatives, representing some 6,000 growers. TEVC executives were looking for a luxury label to add to their growing business. And Artémis already owns another premium Champagne brand. “Since 2017, Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne was searching for alternative houses to complement the broad international…

Cyclone Gabrielle, which devastated the North Island of New Zealand in February, is considered the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere, with damages estimated at upward of $8 billion. The cyclone, which killed at least 11 people, hit the winegrowing regions of the North Island particularly hard. The total rainfall was more than three times as much rain as the February average. Gabrielle’s high winds and waters washed away coastal roads and destroyed bridges, while landslides created more damage. For winemakers in areas such as Hawkes Bay and Gisborne, the timing could have hardly been worse; harvest was just weeks away. Some vineyards were flooded, and in some areas, tons of mud buried vines and pushed into buildings, leaving equipment trapped under muck. But many New Zealand winemakers…