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Sylvester Stallone Debuted His ‘Rambo 5’ Look, and He’s a Damn Cowboy

John Rambo has ditched his his army green muscle shirt (or lack thereof), cargo pants and combat boots for leather chaps, shitkickers and a cowboy hat. Seriously. 

At least, it looks that way based on an Instagram photo Sylvester Stallone posted to celebrate the first day of filming Rambo 5. 

The post quickly racked up 315,000-plus likes, so western Sly followed it up with a shot of himself on horseback. The caption reads, “Comes a Horseman Wild and Free,” which is a line from the song “Don Quixote” by folk music legend Gordon Lightfoot. 

The 72-year-old action movie star has used Instagram to hype Rambo 5 multiple times over the last few months in between Creed 2 announcements. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone confirmed that Rambo 5 is due out in fall of 2019. 

We can’t wait to see Sly draw fifth blood.

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Oregon Takes Aim at California Winery Making Oregon Pinot Noir (Wine Spectator)

Wine labels are legally required to identify where the grapes were grown. But can they name a viticultural area if the winery is located in a different state? That’s one of the issues being raised in a controversy facing California vintner Joe Wagner and Copper Cane Wines & Provisions. The dustup centers on two of Wagner’s Oregon brands, Elouan and Willametter Journal, which are made with Oregon grapes but vinified and bottled in California’s Napa Valley.

The wines have riled Oregon winemakers and lawmakers who feel that the labels and related advertising are misleading. The Oregon Winegrowers Association (OWA) and Oregon state representative David Gomberg allege that Copper Cane may have overstepped state and federal labeling laws by misusing Oregon’s appellations or American Viticultural Areas (AVA) on its labels and packaging.

Grown in Oregon, fermented in California?

Wagner, whose family owns Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley, made a big splash with his California Pinot Noir brand Meiomi, a regional blend from coastal vineyards in Monterey, Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties. (He sold the brand to Constellation in 2015.) He takes a similar approach with his Elouan brand, blending grapes from 50 growers in Oregon’s Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue valleys.

At issue is whether Elouan can include references to those appellations since its grapes are trucked from Oregon to a Rutherford, Calif., facility for winemaking. Oregon law stipulates that if a winery produces wines out of the state it can only use the Oregon appellation, not one of its subappellations such as Willamette Valley.

While the Elouan Pinot Noir bottles are labeled with the Oregon appellation, the case boxes the wines are shipped in mention the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue valleys. The OWA argues that this constitutes misleading advertising since the wine does not qualify to use any of those AVAs. The organization sent a complaint to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC).

Oregon’s labeling rules are more stringent than the federal standards. Federal rules require 85 percent of the grapes to be from an AVA to qualify it to be listed on the label. But in order to qualify for one of Oregon’s viticultural areas, at least 95 percent of the grapes must come from the specific AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state.

Wagner contends that the company has done nothing wrong. “We have a difference of opinion, that’s all there is to it,” he told Wine Spectator. He says the company is aware of the regulations and is technically using the Oregon appellation for its wines. “The question is how firmly should those regulations be held to, from a marketing standpoint.” For Wagner the most important factor in a wine is where the grapes are grown, not how the wine is produced. He argues that if he is paying the same price for grapes as other producers in an AVA, he should be able to talk about where the grapes come from.

But critics don’t see it that way. On Sept. 24, Rep. Gomberg raised his concerns before the House Interim Committee on economic development and trade. Gomberg, who represents District 10 in Oregon, which includes part of Willamette Valley, also takes issue with the case markings for the Elouan Pinot Noir, which include “Oregon Coast” on the box. He argues that it implies that the “Oregon Coast” is an American Viticultural Area, when no such AVA exists.

Critics also say that the inclusion of the Willamette Valley, Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley AVAs in the marketing also creates the impression that they are nested within a larger Oregon Coast AVA. “Oregon wineries have spent the last 50 years building a valuable brand and it troubles me that someone is trying to take advantage of that branding to promote a product that is made someplace else,” Gomberg said.

“Oregon lawmakers are as furious as Oregon winemakers are,” said Jim Bernau, founder and winegrower at Willamette Valley Vineyards. Bernau compares it to taking grapes from the Champagne region of France and vinifying them in California, but still calling the wine Champagne.

Wagner denies that the company was trying to mislead consumers. “It was never our intention to make [Oregon coast] sound like an appellation,” he said. Instead, he says, he was using what he calls “romance copy” to highlight the coastal influence on the winegrowing regions.

Storytelling or misleading?

The use of marketing language is also at the heart of the Willametter Journal label controversy. The front label states that the wine is from the “Willamette region of Oregon’s coastal range,” which the Oregon Winegrowers Association (OWA) believes is misleading because the wine doesn’t qualify for the Willamette Valley AVA, since it’s produced out of state. “It may be misleading to consumers and fail to protect Willamette Valley winemakers who truly do grow and finish their wines there,” OWA CEO Tom Danowski told Wine Spectator via email.

The OWA also takes umbrage with language on the back label that says the wine is sourced from the “territory of Oregon,” which is not an official AVA. But Wagner contends that the wording isn’t meant to imply it’s a different appellation, it’s part of the wine’s theme of an old telegraph—the label looks like a historic news story from when Oregon was still a territory. “We have to be winemakers and growers, but we also have to be storytellers,” he said.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is now weighing in on the debate. On Aug. 30, it sent a letter to Copper Cane requesting the production, transfer in bond and bottling records for seven of its wines by Sept. 28. It also contacted the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) requesting that it evaluate the company’s certificates of label approval to ensure compliance with federal regulations and, “bring Copper Cane into compliance with those regulations if necessary.”

Jim Blumling, vice president of operations at Copper Cane, says the company is complying with the OLCC’s request. He also notes that company executives met with the OWA and other vintners in late August to try understand their points of view. “We were looking to work towards some solutions,” he said. (The company may have added to its troubles when it notified multiple Rogue Valley growers this week that it is cancelling 2018 grape contracts due to concerns over smoke taint from wildfires.)

The main concern for winemakers is protecting the reputation of their terroir—the combination of climate, geography and soils that make an appellation distinct. Pinot Noirs that carry the Willamette Valley AVA, or one of its subappellations, carry more prestige than wines with the broader Oregon appellation, and can command higher prices. “The geographic equity that has been created in the Willamette Valley AVA is essentially being taken and used when it has not been earned,” Bernau argued.

For now Copper Cane is working with the TTB for guidance on the matter. Blumling notes that the company is willing to make changes to protect the brands and satisfy the needs of consumers. “Once we get clear directions we would certainly make corrections that are agreed to,” he said.

Stay on top of important wine stories with Wine Spectator’s free Breaking News Alerts.

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2019 Porsche 911 Speedster Gets Extremely Limited Production Run

The fate of the Porsche 911 is murky at best right now. Looking to focus on SUVs and CUVs no doubt due to the popularity of the Cayenne, Macan and Panamera, Porsche seems to be pivoting, and the iconic 911 could be among the collateral damage. 

In the spirit of “get it while you can,” Porsche is giving the 911 something of a last hurrah, and the just-announced 2019 911 Speedster is the beautiful embodiment of it.

To state the obvious, the ‘19 Speedster is pure fire. Beginning life as a concept that no one expected to get made, Porsche has surprised the automotive world by announcing that they will actually put it into a limited production of 1,948 cars, an homage to the year the car was first introduced. That’s great news for Porsche fans looking to add an inevitably collectible, last-of-its-kind 911 to their collection.

The flat-six engine is nothing to scoff at, pumping out 500hp at 9,000 RPM, but the concept-turned-production Speedster is all about body. Drawing inspiration from the classic heritage of the Porsche 356 Model but doing so with a thoroughly modern approach, the stunning look of the Speedster is unique to itself.

Meant to be driven with the top off, the low slung windows and double bubble behind the head rests make the Speedster immediately recognizable as something special among Porsche’s 2019 offerings. There’s also a shocking amount of carbon fiber composite in this model, from fenders to trunks.

Other trimmings, like headlights and wheels, draw from more racing-minded Porsche models like the GT3. A closer look at the sideview mirrors show what may be the most drastic design-choice in the 2019 Speedster. 

Porsche calls the bullet-ended mirrors “talbot-shaped” but, from the looks of them, may have been borrowed from the bustier of a late-80s Madonna outfit. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

No word on pricing just yet but it’s sure to be exorbitant given the collectible nature and limited run. 

The 2019 911 Speedster will hit the streets in the first half of 2019, and it’s also the first Porsche to be available with the Heritage Design Package from Porsche Exclusive that allows for even higher levels of customization in this unique Speedster and, presumably, beyond. 

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Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay in Detroit

This storyline isn’t new, but it’s true—Detroit is undergoing a serious revitalization. 

Once bleak, vacant areas of the city are experiencing a marked uptick in population, and new bars, restaurants, and stores are opening to satisfy the demands of the locals. Just five years ago, the city declared bankruptcy, but it’s come a long way since then with neighborhoods like downtown, Corktown, and Midtown flourishing. 

Here are some of the best places to eat, drink, and stay in Detroit right now:  

Drink

Bad Luck Bar

Enter Bad Luck Bar through a doorway halfway down a downtown alley, and prepare to be absolutely stunned by the drinks menu found within. The bar opened in December of 2016, serving high-end drinks inspired by Tarot cards with garnishes like Pop Rocks and gold honey dust. 

Try The Hammera blend of cashew-infused rye and spiced syrup that comes to your table in a mystical-looking smoke-filled glass. For something that will really wake you up, go for the Illumination, made with genever, eel sauce, and something they call Sichuan electric buzz button bitters. And if you really feel like splurging, the $200 Admiral (a dram of 1953 British Royal Navy rum) is your best bet.

Second Best

This brand-new dive bar concept opened this past August just across the street from its sister restaurant Grey Ghost. Second Best keeps it simple and comfortable, with a range of craft and mainstream American beer on draught, and kitschy cocktails like the House Zima, My First Old Fashioned, and Second Best Cosmo Ever. 

If you’re hungry, order something off the elevated bar food menu like a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, pulled pork hush puppies, or corn elote served with fried bologna. The bar can get crowded, especially if there’s a game going on at one of the nearby stadiums, but this new drinking hole hits all the right marks.

Deluxx Fluxx

Deluxx Fluxx is a brand-new bar located in the Belt alley that might be unlike any other you’ve ever been to. It’s part-bar, part-art installation, part-music venue, and all decked out in neon and Day-Glo colors with various cocktails on draught. 

A row of arcade games lines one wall, all retrofitted with new themes inspired by designs from artists Faile and Bast, with music from Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour. The bar actually got its start as a traveling art installation hitting cities from London to Edinburgh to New York before finding a permanent home in Detroit.

Volt at Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center

Volt, located within the massive Detroit Marriott hotel located next to the RiverWalk, is a fine entry into the category of hotel bars. 

But what makes it really special is that it’s the only place you can find Chef Brett’s Cherry Wheat Ale. This beer was created by Michigan’s Saugatuck Brewing Co. in partnership with executive chef Brett Montgomery, and is available on draught at the bar and as an amenity for hotel guests. Another local option is to go for a Manhattan or Old Fashioned made with rye whiskey from Detroit City Distillery. 

New Order Coffee Roasters

Take a break from the booze and stop by New Order Coffee Roasters for some truly excellent third-wave coffee. The beans are roasted in-house by a team of serious caffeine nerds who know a ridiculous amount about coffee. 

The physical space looks kind of like a Pinkberry, but the drinks are delicious. Until mid-November you can get a PB&J Latte (strawberry jam, peanut butter powder, espresso and steamed milk), along with really well made classic espresso drinks. A new location will be opening in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit, this winter.

Eat

Prime + Proper

Nearly every city has a good steakhouse, but Detroit’s Prime + Proper would be a standout wherever it was. This high-end restaurant is housed in the Capitol Park Loft building, built in 1912, and features a huge dry-aging vault showing off countless steaks aging amidst Himalayan salt walls for at least 28 days. 

The meat is ridiculously good, with both Japanese and American wagyu, a tomahawk ribeye, and Kansas City strip among the menu highlights. Go the extra mile and dose your meat with some shaved truffles or foie gras “salt”; it’s worth the extra calories. Also, look out for special cuts aged in rye whiskey or cognac that are served on holidays like New Year’s Eve. 

Grey Ghost

Grey Ghost is just across the street from its sister bar, Second Best, but the atmosphere here is very different. The name is a nod to a Prohibition-era rumrunner who sailed the Detroit River, and the cocktail selection here would make him proud. 

The drinks menu is divided into “Stirred,” featuring Strange Clouds (Laphroaig single malt, Irish whiskey, maple, walnut, applewood sea salt), and “Shaken,” featuring Twenty Fifth Hour (Thai chili pisco, mezcal, lime, orange bitters). The food is just as inspired and creative. Try the amazing Cajun shrimp dumplings to start, then go for a flat iron steak with kimchee or a half chicken served with peach barbecue sauce and creamed corn grits. 

Gold Cash Gold

Gold Cash Gold would feel entirely at home in Brooklyn, but this trendy restaurant in the midst of the Michigan Avenue bar and restaurant scene is proudly Detroit. The cocktails are excellent – try My Posse’s Gettin’ Bigger, made with tequila, mezcal, watermelon, lime, and mole bitters. 

The food menu is where this place really shines, though, with amazing homemade ravioli stuffed with corn and zucchini, butter-roasted sardines paired with cucumber chimichurri, and a turmeric-roasted cauliflower that is much, much better than it sounds. 

Folk

Folk is a casual cafe in the Corktown neighborhood that offers comfort food with lots of vegetarian options and some really interesting “infused milk” drinks – ginger and turmeric, beet root powder and rose simple syrup, and matcha and honey. 

Pretty much everything on the menu leaves you feeling satisfied and healthy, like the Tigress Aussie meat pie made with coconut curry, “Tah-Ma-Toe” Toast topped with pimento cheese and pickled green tomato, and a breakfast hash plate with the option of subbing smoky tempeh.

Stay

Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney

There are plenty of old buildings in Detroit that have been given a new lease on life as hotels, and Aloft Detroit is one of them. This downtown hotel is housed in the historic David Whitney building, a former office complex that was completed in 1915. 

The lobby is stunning, a four-story atrium built with marble, terra cotta, and gold leafing that is topped by a massive skylight. The rooms are not quite as impressive, but the price is right at less than $200 a night, the People Mover stops right outside, and the Tigers, Lions, and Pistons are all play home games within walking distance of the hotel.

Shinola Hotel

This new hotel from Shinola is set to open in December, with 129 rooms, a food and beverage program from famed chef Andrew Carmellini, and 16,000 square feet of retail space. This is just the latest member of the rapidly expanding downtown Detroit hospitality scene, and the hotel promises to be a stylish addition. 

The team says it was inspired by London’s private clubs, and guests should expect cream-colored hallways with a pop of Shinola blue, bronze and leather furniture in the rooms, and several bars including a beer hall called The Brakeman. 

The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

The Westin Book Cadillac is a landmarked Neo-Renaissance building built in 1924, and at 29 floors it was reputed to be the tallest hotel in the world at the time of its opening. 

Nowadays you’ll find Michael Symon’s ROAST restaurant on the lobby level, a classic hotel bar called Motor Bar, and more than 450 rooms to choose from. It’s also right in the middle of Detroit’s thriving downtown bar and restaurant scene, with many options just a short walk from the lobby doors.

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Artificial Sweeteners Are Terrible For Your Health, Science Says

Prefer diet sodas instead of regular? Sure, they’re great for cutting down on calories—but it’d be a good idea to reconsider that choice. A newly-published study in the scientific journal Molecules revealed how terrible non-caloric artificial sweeteners are for your health.

According to the study, which was conducted collaboratively by researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharine mess with your digestive tract and metabolism. They are literally toxic for your gut microbes.

For the study, researchers examined the effects of six FDA-approved artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k, as well as 10 sports supplements containing these sweeteners.

Aspartame is commonly used in diet sodas like Coke Zero Sugar, Fanta Zero, and Minute Maid Light, and diet Coke contains sucralose and acesulfame potassium, according to the Coca-Cola Co. website.

For the study, scientists genetically modified E. coli bacteria, which is a “good” bacteria naturally found in small amounts in the gut, to luminesce when exposed to toxins. Then they introduced the sweeteners to the modified E. coli.

Now, I’m not going to sugar-coat the unfortunate findings of the study (Get it?): The researchers discovered that gut bacteria had a toxic response when exposed to the sweeteners in concentrations as little as 1 milligram per milliliter. Obviously, a toxic response in the digestive tract is never a good thing. 

Plus, I’d just like to emphasize that the word “toxic” should never be used to describe the state of your intestines. Ready to give up diet soda yet? 

“We modified bioluminescent E. coli bacteria, which luminesce when they detect toxicants and act as a sensing model representative of the complex microbial system,” says head researcher Dr. Ariel Kushmaro.

“This is further evidence that consumption of artificial sweeteners adversely affects gut microbial activity which can cause a wide range of health issues.”

In case clarification is needed, gut microbiome is full of good bacteria, also known as gut flora or gut microbiota. These are bacteria that you want in your gut, because they help support your immune system, metabolize otherwise indigestible compounds in food which is necessary for the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and keep your brain chemistry stable. 

When the gut microbiota is compromised, it obviously can’t do its job and can lead to chronic and debilitating health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, liver disease, and autoimmune diseases like diabetes, among others. 

“The results of this study might help in understanding the relative toxicity of artificial sweeteners and the potential of negative effects on the gut microbial community as well as the environment,” Kushmaro says. “Furthermore, the tested bioluminescent bacterial panel can potentially be used for detecting artificial sweeteners in the environment.”

Long story short, it’s not worth it to consume artificial sweeteners. Ever. Plain and simple.