Wine Enthusiast Magazine April 2021

Adam M. Strum PUBLISHER Susan Kostrzewa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqueline Strum ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julia Lea EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Layla Schlack SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Daniels TASTING ASSISTANT TASTING DIRECTOR Fiona Adams TASTING COORDINATOR Craig Chamberlain ASSISTANT TASTING COORDINATOR William Johnson DIGITAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Emily Saladino SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Dylan Garret DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR J’nai Gaither SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marco Bruno DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon ASSOCIATE DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas VISUALS PRODUCER Jesse Reiter ASSOCIATE PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena CONTRIBUTING EDITORS EUROPEAN EDITOR Roger Voss ITALIAN EDITOR Kerin O’Keefe WINE Michael Schachner, Paul Gregutt, Virginie Boone, Jim Gordon, Matt Kettmann, Sean P. Sullivan, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Anne Krebiehl, MW, Christina Pickard SPIRITS Kara Newman BEER John Holl FOOD Nils Bernstein TRAVEL Lauren Mowery LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINING Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen WEST COAST DIRECTOR Allison Langhoff SENIOR…

[Chardonnay] always emerges…bigger, better and built to last. Historic but modern, classic yet controversial, beloved as well as dismissed: Chardonnay has been through as many twists and turns as a character in a Charles Dickens novel and reinvented enough times to put Lady Gaga to shame. But despite the wine’s wild ride, it always emerges again, bigger, better and built to last. Case-in-point: California Chardonnay, the subject of Contributing Editor Virginie Boone’s article on page 34. With a focus on Sonoma County, Boone celebrates the variety’s break from its sometimes-singular past by sharing fresher, brighter expressions that appeal to many wine lovers. This is your opportunity to meet the winemakers who are helping evolve the category within the state and bring new wine drinkers to the Chardonnay fold. Practically a world away, Chardonnay…

“To say 2020 was an unusual year is an understatement,” said Adam Strum, chairman and CEO of Wine Enthusiast Companies, after he removed his mask to deliver the opening remarks at the 2020 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards ceremony. Held January 26–28, 2021, the annual gala was entirely virtual for the first time in its 21-year history. Over the course of three days, thousands of industry members from around the world tuned in to watch exclusive video interviews with winners in 17 categories, meet and greet one another in the bustling virtual networking lounge, browse portfolio selections available for purchase in the tasting room, and explore decades of previous winners in the Wine Star Awards Hall of Fame. Though encompassing all aspects of current affairs in the wine industry through its varied…

STUCK ON HUE SHADES OF CHARDONNAY Widely planted around the world, this grape models just how much vinification methods can affect the character and color of wine. Even without delving into sparkling options, bottlings can run the gamut of pale and racy to deep and rich, with a wide and happy middle ground. The color in your glass may hold clues about how the wine was made and how it will taste. We take you through the spectrum of Chardonnay styles, from lightest to darkest. PALE LIGHTS Chardonnay that’s a pale gold or straw color is likely to have been aged in stainless steel. Its faint color indicates that it was made without the oxidative effect of oak, which adds both color and body. These wines also will likely not have undergone malolactic fermentation, which…

A simple yet delicious dish, pasta primavera became an icon of New York City’s dining scene during the 1970s. Popularized by Le Cirque restaurant, the recipe has since been personalized countless times by other chefs and cookbook authors. It’s come to represent almost any combination of pasta with fresh vegetables, often in a cream sauce. This version has a pesto-like pea purée as its base, which keeps things light and green for spring. PASTA PRIMAVERA 1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed1 clove garlic1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice2 ounces Parmesan, or other salty hard cheese, grated1 packed cup parsley6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilSalt, to taste12 ounces dried spiral pasta, like cavatappi, gemelli or fusilli12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces8 ounces fresh snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise¼ packed cup fresh…

It’s an excellent time to drink Australian Chardonnay. While the style metronome has tick-tocked historically between ripe, oaky examples and lean, austere versions, modern Aussie “Chardy,” which ranges from vibrant, crisp and saline to textured, fleshy and toasty, seems to have found its perfect beat. Chardonnay grows happily across Australia. The most celebrated vineyards, however, are in moderate to cool regions with either a heavy maritime influence, like Tasmania, Victoria’s Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, and Western Australia’s Margaret River, or somewhat higher elevation, like the Canberra District and South Australia’s Adelaide Hills. Bottlings from these areas tend toward freshness and delicate fruit. Those from warmer, more inland regions like South Australia’s Barossa and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, meanwhile, can be rounder and fruitier. But ultimately, Chardonnay is a winemaker’s…