Wine Spectator May 31, 2020

robin lail

We are now living in a golden age for Napa Valley wine. It feels so powerful that it’s hard to believe how recently the region began its ascent—in the 1930s, just after the Repeal of Prohibition. In fact, this extraordinary era can be traced in a single life span, through the remarkable story of Robin Lail, the subject of our cover story in this issue. Lail is the daughter of John Daniel Jr., who as the owner of Inglenook made some of Napa’s best wines in the 1930s and onward through his sale of the estate in the mid-1960s. Robert Mondavi hired Lail in the 1970s, and she later worked for Bill Harlan, helping him transform Meadowood Estate into a gathering place for Napa Valley vintners. Now she is running her own…

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Back Issue Bonus I have been a subscriber to Wine Spectator magazine since 1999 and have saved every issue, as I enjoy referring back to them for information and ideas about wines and wine regions. For example, we recently took (another) trip to Sonoma County. I perused my library of back issues and found the June 15, 2018, issue, which featured the history and attractions of Sonoma County. We re-read the articles, taking notes on wineries to visit and places to eat. I applaud Wine Spectator for featuring wine destination travel and hope the great issues keep coming. Kevin Stein and Amanda Heilbron Atlanta, Ga. Great Wine North In 2019, Canada imported CA$484.9 million of California wines and grape must as the No. 1 single-country export market for California wines. With Canadians’ longstanding enjoyment of…

staying the cabernet course in napa

Napa Valley, home to more than 24,500 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, has become synonymous with the grape. But that wasn’t always the case. The bond between Napa and Cabernet truly flourished in the past five decades, forged by pioneering producers who invested in the region when it was less well-known. Their vision and tenacity could offer a lesson in these anxious times for the appellation, and the wine world as a whole. When John Shafer moved his family from Chicago to 209 acres in the valley in 1972, the land was planted to a mix of Zinfandel, Carignane, Barbera, Sauvignon Vert and Chasselas. He began replanting. Doug Shafer, his son, was in high school. Today, Doug is 64 and the longtime president of the winery his dad started. Shafer has persisted…

spain shines at barcelona wine week

Spain took the world wine stage in February. The first-ever Barcelona Wine Week (BWW) debuted in the lively city’s central Plaça d’Espanya, drawing exhibitors and trade professionals from Spain and around the globe. The sense of community was strong. “For people interested in Spanish wine, this is a meeting point,” said Joan Cusiné of Parés Baltà, who poured the full range of his Penedès winery’s latest releases at BWW. The three-day fair, held Feb. 3–5, showcased 550 wineries—the vast majority of them Spanish—from 40 appellations. Spain’s diversity was on full display. More than 15,000 attendees took advantage of the winery stands, seminars, speakers and other exhibits. “I am floored by BWW. It’s a Spanish wine lover’s dream,” said wine educator Rick Fisher, who traveled to Barcelona from San Diego for the event.…

star chefs: from tv to tableside

From the earliest episodes of Julia Child’s The French Chef to the game-changing competition shows Iron Chef and Top Chef, cooking shows have become a television genre in their own right. But have you had the opportunity to dine at a restaurant run by one of the chefs you’ve followed on screen? Helmed by colorful characters you’re sure to recognize, the six establishments profiled below also boast robust Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning wine lists that offer something for everyone. Grand Award Daniel 60 E. 65th St., New York Telephone (212) 288-0033 Website danielnyc.com Open Dinner, Monday to Saturday Esteemed French chef Daniel Boulud runs his elegant flagship restaurant alongside head sommelier Raj Vaidya. Boulud called his TV show, After Hours With Daniel Boulud, a “show without a script,” but at this restaurant, the prix-fixe…

tasting plate: british family rule

If there’s a common thread uniting the finest cheeses of the British Isles, it’s family: That each of the seven standouts on this plate tells a multigenerational farming story is no mere coincidence. After the Great Depression and the two world wars wiped out nearly all smallscale artisanal producers, it was holdout families such as the Applebys, Montgomerys and Quickes who spurred a late 20th-century revival. The vast majority of British cheeses are either Cheddars, best represented by the West Country Farmhouse PDO, which includes Barber’s, Keen’s, Montgomery’s and Westcombe; or blues, exemplified by Stilton and its modern raw-milk throwback, Stichelton. All are perennial goto selections; here, we venture a bit further afield in these categories. 1 Appleby’s Cheshire zingermans.com, $40/pound This renowned “territorial” (traditional place-named cheese), clothbound and from raw cow’s milk, is…