Wine Enthusiast Magazine February/March 2022

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julia Lea EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Layla Schlack ASSISTANT EDITOR Jacy Topps TASTING ASSISTANT TASTING DIRECTOR Fiona Adams TASTING COORDINATOR Craig Chamberlain ASSISTANT TASTING COORDINATOR Cody Wexler DIGITAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Emily Saladino SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Dylan Garret DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR J’nai Gaither DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jaime Brown DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas VISUALS PRODUCER Jesse Reiter ASSOCIATE PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena SOCIAL SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marco Bruno CONTRIBUTING EDITORS EUROPEAN EDITOR Roger Voss ITALIAN EDITOR Kerin O’Keefe WINE Virginie Boone, Mike DeSimone, Jim Gordon, Paul Gregutt, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Jeff Jenssen, Matt Kettmann, Christina Pickard, Michael Schachner, Sean P. Sullivan SPIRITS Kara Newman BEER John Holl FOOD Nils Bernstein TRAVEL Lauren Mowery EDITORIAL OFFICES HEADQUARTERS 200 Summit Lake DriveValhalla, NY 10595 TEL: 914.345.9463 editor@wineenthusiast.net CALIFORNIA Virginie Boone, vboone@wineenthusiast.net; Jim…

Our outlook on the next year is dramatically different than it has been on those past. Nearly every aspect of the beverage universe is having a watershed moment. We have new generations moving into the limelight, new environmental challenges at our doorstep and new tools to tackle them all. In this issue, we dive into what it means to attempt to create a brighter future and those pioneering the way in a moment riddled with uncertainty. To begin, we look to one of the most iconic corners in the wine world: Bordeaux. In European Editor Roger Voss’ feature about sustainability in Bordeaux, he covers the way climate change has already impacted the classic wine region and what producers there are doing to alleviate its effects (page 50). Similarly, a sense of pivoting…

In 2020, the wine industry was forced to reckon with the underrepresentation and mistreatment of marginalized groups in the trade. After nearly two years, have any significant changes been made? “We’re at the very primary version of this change, where doors are being opened and gates are being broken apart,” says Miguel de Leon, wine director of Pinch Chinese. But, he adds, “We run the risk of doing the bare minimum and saying that’s enough.” There are, de Leon notes, certain areas where applied pressure has led to significant changes. “Education has—we’ve concluded that in order for us to have full ownership of the spaces we inhabit, we must create them ourselves,” he says, pointing to organizations like The Hue Society, where he sits as a council advisor, and the Roots Fund. Previously established…

“We’re just friends hanging out. We pour wine into plastic cups because that’s what we’d do if it were just the three of us chilling and opening a few bottles,” says Adam Jimenez, co-owner of Los Naturales in Chicago. He’s talking about the authenticity driving the natural wine bar and shop concept he founded with his friends Oscar Salinas and August Marron. At the bar, strangers often share bottles they’ve purchased, eager to let each other in on what they’re drinking. Los Naturales is one of a handful of wine businesses focusing on inclusion that sprung up during the pandemic, due mostly to a desire to connect with people in one way or another over wine. These include Paradis Books & Bread, an employee-owned restaurant, library and sourdough bakery, among other things, in…

Ratafia is a sweet alcoholic drink that takes different forms and flavors depending on where it’s made. The name, however, has a similar origin story everywhere. “It comes from the Latin phrase rata fiat, which means ‘the deal has been made,’” says Dan Oskey, cofounder of Tattersall Distilling. “The history revolves around ratifying legal or political matters, where both parties would share a drink after signing documents.” ITALY In the Piedmont and Abruzzo regions, ratafia is a syrupy liqueur traditionally flavored with local sour cherries. Some versions are made with green walnuts, ginger and other fruits. To make the liqueur, the fruit is mixed with wine such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, sugar and a neutral spirit to bring the mixture to 20–30% alcohol by volume (abv). While it can be sipped neat or poured over…

Bold in fruit and spiced with Mediterranean garrigue, the sun-drenched wines of the Côtes du Rhône are the crowd-pleasing little black dress of the wine world. While most associated with the big, juicy reds of the Southern Rhône, the Côtes du Rhône is an umbrella Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), incorporating diverse geography and wine styles. Spanning more than 74,000 acres from Vienne in the Northern Rhône and past Avignon in the Southern Rhône, it is one of the largest appellations in France. Côtes du Rhône is most known for red wine, which makes up almost 90% of the region’s production, but rosé and white wines are also produced there. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are the most common grapes, but regulations allow the blending of up to 23 red and white varieties. In the…