Category: Cooking, Food & Wine

Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth is poppin’ off in episode 3 of Straight Talk—with a Champagne spectacular! He’s joined by Wine Spectator‘s lead taster for Champagne, Alison Napjus, and a wide-ranging lineup of sparkling wine stars: Roederer’s Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon talks Cristal and climate change, Alexandre Chartogne takes us inside the “grower Champagne” movement, and we talk business with the importer of Bollinger Champagne. Plus, Dr. Vinny explains bruts and more.

Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast is available exclusively—and for free—at WineSpectator.com/podcast. Hosted by senior editor and special projects director James Molesworth, each episode spotlights subjects featured in the most recent issues of Wine Spectator magazine, with episode 3 taking its cue from the Dec. 15, 2022, issue cover story.

Episode 3 of Straight Talk also features a visit from Wine Spectator‘s mysterious and beloved wine advice expert Dr. Vinny (senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec), joined by podcast director Robert Taylor. Listeners can email their questions and comments to [email protected],

The next episode of Straight Talk will spotlight the Dec. 31, 2022, issue, celebrating Wine Spectator‘s Top 100 Wines of the Year—only at WineSpectator.com/podcast.

Antinori, one of the top names in Italian wine, has added a key vineyard asset to its Prunotto winery in Piedmont, purchasing 8.4 acres in the Cerretta MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva—Piedmont’s system of classified vinegrowing places) of Serralunga d’Alba for $9 million. The deal, signed on November 7, increases Prunotto’s estate-owned vineyards and parcels under long-term lease to 193 acres, including 32 acres in Barolo and 13 acres in Barbaresco.

“We already had a small production of Cerretta since 2017, as we had an agreement with a local grower, and based on that we decided to invest further in this subappellation because we were really impressed by the style [of Barolo] from the place,” Antinori CEO Renzo Cotarella told Wine Spectator. “We were very fortunate to find some vineyards to buy.” The first wines made from the new parcels will be from the 2022 harvest.

Comprising nearly 100 acres, Cerretta is one of the largest MGAs in Serralunga, with several top producers owning vines there, including Giacomo Conterno, Elio Altare, Azelia, Luigi Baudana and Schiavenza.

The latest acquisition reinforces Prunotto’s focus on single-vineyard wines, adding to its crus Barolo Bussia Vigna Colonnello Riserva, Barbaresco Bric Turot (Montaribaldi MGA), Barbaresco Secondine, Nizza Costamiòle and Barbera d’Alba Pian Romualdo.

Prunotto was founded in the 1920s by Alfredo Prunotto. When he retired in 1956, he sold Prunotto to his friend Beppe Colla. With the help of his brother Tino, Colla began to produce wines from single vineyards in the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. Antinori began distributing the wines of Prunotto in 1989 and took full control of the company in 1994.

[article-img-container][src=2022-11/ns_ceretta112822_1600.jpg] [credit=(Courtesy Prunotto)] [alt=Ceretta in Serralunga d’Alba] [end: article-img-container]

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While numerous studies have linked moderate wine consumption to improved health outcomes, medical professionals agree that high alcohol intake, especially binge drinking, has negative consequences, including accidents, violence and longterm health problems. New research attempts to quantify just how serious those consequences can be, especially for young adults, who are at the highest risk of alcohol-related premature death.

The researchers argue that alcohol played a role in an estimated one in eight deaths among the overall study cohort and was at least partly responsible for one in five deaths in people aged 20 to 49. The study also found that men are at a higher risk of alcohol-related death than women.

Notably, the research does not contradict longstanding findings about the benefits of modest wine drinking.

The study, a collaboration between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, was published in JAMA Network Open this month. The authors concluded that over 140,000 deaths each year, or about five percent of total annual deaths in the U.S., can be wholly or partially linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

Of those alcohol-related deaths, nearly 45,000 occurred in people under the age of 50. Since adults aged 20 to 64 accounted for approximately two-thirds of all alcohol-related deaths, the researchers decided to focus their analysis on that cohort—a notable decision, considering that other research has shown people aged 65 and up are most likely to reap alcohol’s health benefits.

Using data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which gathers health information via telephone surveys, researchers analyzed the drinking habits of over two million people between 2015 and 2019. By comparing drinking patterns with the rates of 58 causes of death where alcohol might play a role (including liver disease, cancer, accidents, violence and more), the researchers calculated the number of deaths that were completely or partially linked to excessive alcohol use.

“Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death, yet it remains under-recognized as a public health problem, and effective strategies to prevent [it] are underutilized,” Dr. Marissa Esser, head of the CDC’s alcohol program and lead author of the study, told Wine Spectator.

The study’s main finding is that young people are at elevated risk of death due to acute causes, mostly related to binge drinking. These findings echo a recent study that found young adults are more susceptible to alcohol-related accidents, including car crashes and interpersonal violence, while older adults are more likely to reap alcohol’s protective health benefits.

For the youngest cohort in the CDC study, those aged 20 to 34, alcohol-related deaths accounted for over 25 percent of total deaths. Among deaths where alcohol played a role, the top three causes—other poisonings (deaths involving high blood alcohol content and another substance in addition to alcohol), motor vehicle traffic crashes and homicide—accounted for nearly 72 percent.

The study also found that as people get older, their risk of alcohol-related death decreases. While alcohol played a role in 25.4 percent of deaths among people aged 20 to 34 and 17.5 percent among those aged 35 to 49, it was linked to 9.5 percent of deaths among those aged 50 to 64.

While the study’s findings are serious, they don’t negate evidence of the benefits of moderate wine drinking. The study was concerned with excessive alcohol consumption (eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks for men) and binge drinking (four or more drinks in one sitting for women, and five or more for men). For wine, one drink was classified as a 5-ounce glass of wine with 12 percent alcohol by volume.

The study did not differentiate between types of alcohol consumed. According to Esser, “Regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, the risk of getting cancer and several other chronic diseases (such as liver disease or hypertension) is higher with increasing amounts of alcohol consumed.” The study also relied on questionnaires about drinking habits, which are not always accurate. 

What does the study mean for those who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle while maximizing their vinous pleasure? Esser counsels that “to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, it is  recommended that adults of legal drinking age choose not to drink, or drink in moderation by limiting intake to  two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed.”

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“Wine is about enjoyment,” observed Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, co-owner of Château Mouton-Rothschild, while speaking to more than 1,000 guests at the 2022 New York Wine Experience as they enjoyed a vertical tasting of wines from his family’s famed first-growth. “It’s a people business. Don’t forget about that.”

It was impossible to forget how much wine is a people business at the 41st iteration of Wine Spectator’s annual gathering of wine lovers, winemakers, sommeliers, chefs and more. This was the first truly post-pandemic Wine Experience. The 2020 event was canceled, and while the 2021 event brought people back to the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, attendance was limited to reduce crowd size, and U.S. travel restrictions prevented many foreign vintners from attending.

With those barriers now gone, veteran attendees were elated to be back together with their vinous extended family, from fellow winemakers representing different regions to longtime loyal customers. Over three days, from Oct. 20–22, people gathered for two evening Grand Tastings of more than 250 wines, two packed days of tasting seminars highlighting regions and wine stars, two lunches hosted by vintners from Napa and Chile and a closing Champagne reception offering dishes from some of New York City’s greatest restaurants.

And there was plenty of wine to go around: In all, 331 different wines were poured from 14,268 bottles into 65,306 glasses. Because what better way to bring people together than a whole lot of wine?

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A Giant Family Reunion

“We are happy to be back after two years away,” said Albéric Bichot, president of Burgundy’s Albert Bichot winery, as he poured his grand cru Chablis for guests attending the opening night of the Grand Tastings. “This year there are more people and a great energy. You can tell these people are happy to be alive.”

And what better way to celebrate than to sample new wines and meet new people? The Grand Tastings featured winery owners and winemakers at more than 250 booths who poured some of their best wines—all rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator editors. They also chatted with guests, allowing consumers the chance to meet the people behind their favorite wines and allowing vintners to get to know some of their best existing or potential customers. Offerings ranged across numerous grape varieties and multiple regions around the world, giving people a chance to taste favorites and learn about wines they had never tried before.

The following morning, the seminars kicked off in style: Magnums of Cristal were the first bottles to be served, as senior editor Alison Napjus hosted a panel of Champagne’s top producers discussing and sharing prized cuvées from the 2008 vintage. Before the bubbly was even poured, the proper mood was set with a showing of Steve Jacobson’s “Cabernet Tonight” video, an exuberant tribute to all things wine and the winner of Wine Spectator’s 2022 Video Contest. Editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken also gave a Distinguished Service Award to former executive editor Thomas Matthews for his years of service to the magazine and wine.

As the seminars continued, vintners shared their decades of knowledge, explaining the incredible variety and nuance of what the wine world offers. Four winemakers from Oregon discussed how their particular terroirs, which are just beginning to be understood, shaped their 2019 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. A panel of Chianti Classico’s biggest stars spoke with obvious pride of how their historic Italian region has reclaimed its mantel of greatness after decades of hard work in the vineyards and cellars.

Three California Chardonnay legends—Paul Hobbs, David Ramey and Mark Aubert—shared several of their wines and laughed as they explained their different approaches, showing that there is more than one path to greatness. And Sereys de Rothschild and estates manager Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy took guests on a vinous tour of Mouton-Rothschild, serving the 2016, 2006, 1996 and 1986 vintages. Ten vintners—the producers behind the Top 10 Wines of 2021—shared their stories, with the man behind the 2021 Wine of the Year, Christian Moueix, sharing that wine, Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018, along with three other vintages to cap off the seminars.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_moueixaward_satpm_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= From left, Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken, Dominus founder Christian Moueix holding the 2021 Wine of the Year award and senior editor James Molesworth][end: article-img-container]

And then there were the wine stars—vintners selected to highlight their contributions to the industry and their personal stories. Franco Conterno spoke of his family’s journey at Barolo’s Aldo Conterno winery. Aurelio Montes discussed the special terroirs he has explored within Chile and how that work helped the country’s wines evolve. Josh Scott explained how his parents grew their small family winery in New Zealand into an outstanding producer of Sauvignon Blanc, and Hollywood screenwriter Robert Kamen explained how a guy from the Bronx started writing movies while developing a 300-acre wine estate on top of a Sonoma mountain.

Passion in a Glass

What makes these seminars so special is not just the wine, but also the heartfelt stories. Florent Latour shared two beautiful Burgundies from Maison Louis Latour in place of his brother Louis-Fabrice Latour, who passed away in September. “It is a fitting tribute to a wonderful man with a big heart who left us too soon,” said senior editor Bruce Sanderson of the seminar.

Pingus founder Peter Sisseck talked about his dedication to saving small, old-vine plots in the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero, while Christian Seely, who manages Quinta do Noval in Portugal’s Douro Valley, spoke of his personal passion for a four-acre parcel of the estate: the Nacional vineyard, planted with ungrafted vines, many nearly a century old. Though the 2011 Nacional could last for decades more, he said, “We might as well drink these wines while we can.”

Some culinary heavyweights shared their passion for good food and affection for each other in the annual Chefs’ Challenge, a wine-and-food pairing exercise starring chefs José Andrés, Eric Ripert and Emeril Lagasse and restaurateur Danny Meyer this year. Meyer received an unexpected serving himself when Shanken made a surprise announcement that the Union Square Hospitality founder earned the 2022 Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his contributions to American dining and his charitable works.

At its heart, the Wine Experience is about giving back. The event would not be possible without the incredible generosity of vintners who donate all the passion-inducing wines of the weekend. All net proceeds from the event go to the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised more than $35 million for scholarships and grants for the hospitality and wine industries.

Foundation beneficiaries have included students at Napa Valley College, the University of California at Davis School of Viticulture & Enology, The Roots Foundation, Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Culinary Institute of America, among others.

As this year’s Wine Experience wound down, guests gathered for a Champagne reception featuring multiple top cuvées, as well as five Whisky Advocate Whiskies of the Year and small plates from seven Grand Award–winning restaurants in New York. It was one final chance to chat with friends, new and old, about the old wines and new memories they experienced over a packed three days. As Christian Moueix explained during his Dominus seminar: “We taste the wines together, and we become friends. You have brought us together, and that, after all, is what wine is about.”

The Wine Experience will return to New York Oct. 19–21, 2023.

—With reporting by Kenny Martin and Collin Dreizen

Gaylon Lawrence’s wine ambitions extend beyond Napa Valley, apparently. Lawrence Family Wine Estates, the wine company founded by the Tennessee billionaire and managed by Carlton McCoy, has purchased a majority stake in Château Lascombes, a second-growth estate in Bordeaux’s Margaux appellation. The deal is Lawrence Wine Estates’ first acquisition in Europe, joining a portfolio which includes Napa wineries Heitz Cellar, Burgess Cellars, Ink Grade and Stony Hill Vineyard.

“We are honored to become the new stewards of such a historic estate,” said Lawrence. “This château has some of the greatest vineyards in Margaux and our family looks forward to caring for Château Lascombes for many generations to come.” The deal includes about 300 acres of vineyards in Margaux and 24 acres in Haut-Médoc. Annual production is about 20,000 cases. The purchase price was not disclosed.

In 1681, Jean de Lascombes bought the Segonnes estate in Margaux. Its most famous owner, who acquired the château in 1952, may have been the late wine importer Alexis Lichine, credited with building interest in French fine wine in America. Insurance firm Mutuelle d’Assurance du Corps de Santé Français (MACSF) purchased the estate in 2011 for $280 million. MACSF will continue to be involved as a minority partner. Winemaker Delphine Barboux will remain on staff.

“Château Lascombes is the largest estate in Margaux,” said McCoy, the Master Sommelier (and host of the television series Nomad) who is managing partner for Lawrence Family Wine Estates. “With such exceptional vineyard holdings we are confident that we can craft some of the most exceptional wines in the region and we have full confidence that Delphine Barboux can achieve this. Château Lascombes is a special place, and we will spare no expense to ensure that we bring it to its full potential.”

Lawrence owns one of the largest farming empires in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of acres of cotton, rice, corn and citrus stretching across parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Illinois and Florida. He owns eight regional banks in the South as well as large real-estate ventures in his hometown of Nashville and in the San Francisco Bay Area.

He grabbed the wine world’s attention in 2018 when he purchased the historic Heitz Cellar in Napa. Since then, he has bought or launched several other boutique wineries and founded an import/distribution firm called Demeine Estates.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/ns_gaylon102822_1600.jpg] [credit=(Aaron Wojack)] [alt=Carlton McCoy and Gaylon Lawrence] [end: article-img-container]

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The celebrations started early on the first morning of Wine Spectator’s 2022 New York Wine Experience at the New York Marriott Marquis. Editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken took the podium to announce the first of two 2022 Wine Spectator Distinguished Service Award winners, for “my beloved friend Thomas Matthews.”

Matthews, who joined the publication full-time in 1988 and served as its executive editor for 20 years, grew Wine Spectator’s readership to more than 3 million wine lovers, making it the world’s most-read wine publication. He was also the magazine’s longtime lead taster for the wines of Spain, championing the country’s wines as they earned their place on the world stage. Matthews also helped grow the Wine Experience itself as its longtime lead host, and helped build the event’s charity beneficiary, the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised more than $35 million for scholarships and grants for the hospitality and wine industries.

”I looked at the list of [past Distinguished Service Award winners],” said Shanken. “Ernest & Julio Gallo … Robert Mondavi … André Tchelistcheff … Eric de Rothschild … Angelo Gaja … Julia Child … Paul Draper … Francis Ford Coppola … Emeril Lagasse … Chuck Wagner … Wolfgang Puck … Helen Turley … Peter Michael … Bill Harlan … José Andrés … giants who were responsible for helping us get where we are.”

Announcing the newest Distinguished Service Award winner to the sold-out crowd, Shanken shared that he met Matthews for the first time in a Paris hotel room. Shanken offered him a job, and Matthews joined Wine Spectator’s London office full-time in 1988; a year later he was promoted to the magazine’s New York bureau.

Shanken recalled his search for a new executive editor in 1999. “I had three people in mind. Tom was not one of them.”

“Tom wrote me a letter, asking me to consider him,” Shanken continued. “He wasn’t even on the list! [But] I thought about what I needed, what I wanted to lead the next several decades of the magazine. Tom fit the bill. People were shocked. It’s one of the greatest decisions of my life. … We all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Matthews took the stage to an extended standing ovation. “Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a Distinguished Service Award kind of guy,” he laughed.

“[Past winners like] Robert Mondavi—they made the wine industry what it is,” Matthews said to Shanken and the audience. “I have been privileged to be an observer and a supporter of the wine industry, but I thank you as a token of our friendship, and our love.”

“I remember the first time I met Marvin … I imagine most people probably do remember the first time they met Marvin!” Matthews joked.

“I was heartily impressed by the suite at the Hotel Crillon, and the bottle of Dom Pérignon in the ice bucket. Marvin had a vision. He told me that one day Wine Spectator would be the most successful and widely read wine publication in the world. … It was a newsprint tabloid [back then]. It was energetic and ambitious, but it was pretty far from world-renowned. Somehow we persuaded each other, and I took the job.”

”And today Wine Spectator is the most widely read and successful wine publication in the world,” Matthews said. “It was a great ride.”

Matthews also credited a partner who’d matched him “stride for stride” and without whom he said his job wouldn’t have been possible: his wife, Sara Matthews, an accomplished photographer whose work has been exhibited on three continents.

”I worked for Marvin for 34 years. He’s demanding. He’s challenging. He’s inspiring,” concluded Matthews. “It was not very long before I respected him. A little bit later I realized how much I admired him.”

”Today, I can say how much I love you,” Matthews addressed Shanken, who affirmed, “Tom and I will remain friends forever.”

On a night when more than 250 of the world’s best wines were being served to a packed house, somehow the wines were not the biggest attraction in the room. On the opening night of the 2022 New York Wine Experience, it was the people.

“It’s just fantastic to be back,” said Christian Seely, managing director of an impressive international roster of wineries from Portugal to Bordeaux to Napa. “Not only to see the greatest wine producers in the world, but to see the greatest wine consumers in the world.”

Seely and his colleagues were pouring for close to 2,000 of those consumers on Oct. 20 at the first of two Grand Tastings, kicking off three days of wine, food, seminars and fun at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. This year’s event promised a chance to reconnect with those who share a passion for all things vinous.

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The pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Wine Experience, and while the event was held in 2021, pandemic restrictions limited crowd sizes and prevented most European vintners from attending. For them, this was their first Wine Experience since 2019, and a big relief.

“It’s always a great event. It’s great to be back,” said Damien Barton Sartorius of Château Léoville Barton. “I’m like a child in a candy store.”

The problem for many attendees? Which candy to try first. For bubbly lovers, there were more than a dozen choices, starting with Pol Roger’s Brut Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2013. Right next door, Schramsberg Rosé North Coast J. Schram 2013 offered a California counterpart.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtbichotguests102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= From left, Burgundy vintner Albéric Bichot with Ian Scudder, Emily Buse and Lucas Robinson at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

White wine lovers could enjoy the vibrant Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough Te Muna 2021 from New Zealand or the elegant Livio Felluga Rosazzo Terre Alte 2017 from Italy or the complex M. Chapoutier Ermitage White de l’Orée 2011 from France. The next row over offered pristine Pinot Noirs from Oregon, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Burgundy and New Zealand.

Looking to understand Cabernet Sauvignon better? Napa’s Favia was pouring its Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville 2019 right across from where Château Lynch Bages was pouring its Pauillac 2018. What about Sangiovese? One section of tables offered outstanding examples from Chianti’s Castello di Volpaia and Fontodi and Montalcino’s Altesino and Biondi Santi. Or you could try Renato Ratti’s Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata 2015 and then move to Gaja’s Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 2015. There were dozens of other options from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Israel, Australia and more.

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But time and time again, as people move through the two packed ballrooms, sampling wines, they also met new people, learned about the wineries and made new friends. Winemakers took advantage to try wines they have never tasted before and to share ideas and forge connections.

“It’s also nice to see all your producer friends that you haven’t seen in a long time,” said Jason Jardine, winemaker at Sonoma’s Hanzell Farm & Vineyards. “These events really help bring people together.”

The Wine Experience would not be possible without the incredible generosity of vintners who donate all the passion-inducing wines of the weekend. All net proceeds from the event go to the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised more than $35 million for scholarships and grants for the hospitality and wine industries.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtharlans102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= BOND co-owner Deborah Harlan and daughter Amanda at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

Foundation beneficiaries have included students at Napa Valley College, the University of California at Davis School of Viticulture & Enology, The Roots Foundation, Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Culinary Institute of America, among others.

As the first event of the 2022 Wine Experience concluded, the feeling of joy at being back together was palpable. “Everyone is talking about how wonderful it is to be back in the room,” said Randy Ullom of Jackson Family Wines.

Grand Tasting Photo Gallery

Photos by Daphne Youree

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtaubert102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= Aubert Wines estate director Philip Gift and Mark Aubert at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtantinoris102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= Antinori co-owners and sisters Albiera and Alessia at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtchuckwagner102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= Caymus owner Chuck Wagner (right) with guest at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

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[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gttavares102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= Portuguese winemaker Sandra Tavares de Silva at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/nywe22_gtguestsfamily102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Daphne Youree)] [alt= A group of guests, some repeat attendees and some first-time visitors, enjoying themselves at the 2022 New York Wine Experience][end: article-img-container]

Check back for more photos and event coverage after the New York Wine Experience concludes!

On Oct. 18, Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) revived their Roman-Italian restaurant, Maialino, at the Redbury Hotel in New York, adding another new hot spot to Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood. USHG closed Maialino’s original Gramercy Park Hotel location—a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winner—in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (though it retained its sister location in Washington., D.C., Maialino Mare, which holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence).

“That’s right folks, after over two years, we’re finally ready to bring back a taste of your favorites this fall,” Meyer wrote in an Instagram post. USHG has close ties to the Redbury Hotel, where it operates a pizzeria, Arta. It also previously oversaw eateries Caffe Marchio and Vini e Fritti, whose former locations house the new Maialino.

Known as Maialino (vicino)— vicino being Italian for “nearby”—the restaurant offers the trattoria-style cuisine that fans enjoyed several years ago. “We’re incredibly excited to recreate that special Maialino magic just a few blocks away from the original,” said Meyer in a statement. “Walking through the doors at Maialino (vicino), our guests will immediately recognize that spark—even before enjoying their favorite Maialino dishes.”

Maialino (vicino) executive chef Joe Downey-Zayas—who was chef de cuisine at the original location and, more recently, at USHG’s Best of Award of Excellence–winning Union Square Café—is preparing dishes such as burrata with roasted honeynut squash, tonnarelli cacio e pepe, chile-seasoned chicken diavola and the restaurant’s signature oven-roasted suckling pig, served with rosemary potatoes.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/tt_maialinopasta102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Giada Paoloni)] [alt= A plate of malfatti pasta with braised suckling pig and Grana Padano cheese, garnished with arugula][end: article-img-container]

Beverage director Cory Holt and USHG manager of bar openings Patrick Smith have put together a new cocktail selection for the reopening, along with a growing, 600-label wine list focused primarily on Italy. “The goal is not to build out the 1,600 selections we had at our Gramercy Park location, but to still have a comprehensive selection of all of Italy and Champagne,” Holt told Wine Spectator via email.

As at the original location, the list will feature plenty of benchmark bottles, but there will be more emphasis on smaller, grower-led producers and “forward-thinking” winemakers. It will also play up lesser-known regions and varieties that offer value for diners. “We want wine to be fun, effortless and accessible to everyone, while still using our expertise to make sure we’re serving the right bottle for the right occasion,” Holt explained.

With more than 40 seats, the dining room offers a welcoming atmosphere akin to a Roman trattoria, with marble bartops, terrazzo floors and black-and-white photographs on the walls. Walk-in guests can enjoy Maialino (vicino)’s wines and small plates at the attached, 30-seat wine bar next door.

“[I] have a soft spot for bars and for working in smaller restaurants,” said Holt. “That’s exactly what this new iteration of Maialino is all about. We’re a small and intimate space, but with the same personality of the original. In many ways, it’s the best of both worlds.”

This was one of the last projects Meyer oversaw as USHG CEO. As of Sept. 6, he has stepped down, with Chip Wade, formerly president and COO, taking over that position. Meyer will remain on the group’s team as executive chairman and in consulting roles to help with new projects.—C.D.

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Nice Matin Team Opens Monterey in New York

As of Oct. 6, Midtown Manhattan has a new brasserie, Monterey, from restaurateur Simon Oren and the celebrated hospitality team behind Grand Award winner Nice Matin, Best of Award of Excellence winner Barbounia and Award of Excellence winners Dagon, Isabelle’s Osteria, Marseille and Nizza. Like its sibling locations, Monterey offers an impressive beverage program directed by wine industry leader Aviram Turgeman.

The team is bringing back an “old school” approach to New York dining “with a new and polished uniform,” Turgeman told Wine Spectator via email. He has assembled a list of more than 200 wine labels from across the globe, organized by style. “I plan to have 400 by the end of the year by supplementing back vintages from recently acquired cellars,” he added. The main focuses are leading wineries in California (fitting, considering the restaurant’s namesake) and France, particularly Champagne, with more from Oregon, New York, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain and beyond. From Napa Valley’s Beaulieu Vineyard to Australia’s Penfolds, leading names abound. “I keep my loyalty to vignerons I’ve been working with over the years, alongside emerging stars,” Turgeman explained. The list also features a section dedicated to limited-availability wines from Sonoma star Williams Selyem, with horizontal and vertical depth going back to the 2005 vintage.

Cocktail lovers will find a creative selection of drinks and will even be able to design their own gin cocktails, working with the professional manning Monterey’s martini cart.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/tt_montereydining102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Monterey)] [alt= Monterey’s multi-level dining room with bright blue banquettes and tan chairs on the first level and an open kitchen along the far wall][end: article-img-container]

For the brasserie-style menu, chef-partner James Tracey brings his years of experience at noteworthy restaurants like Isabelle’s Osteria, mingling European (particularly Mediterranean) and American culinary influences. The results are dishes like pork trotter with sweetbreads, crispy lobster with avocado puree and steamed black bass with charred shallots, as well as osetra caviar, top-notch steaks and a raw bar. Carts specializing in prime rib au jus and bananas Foster (flambéed tableside) bring even more variety and, of course, entertainment.

Dudi Sasson, one of Oren’s chief collaborators and a Monterey partner, and designer Scott Kester designed the restaurant with terrazzo tile floors, blue banquettes, a marble bartop and an open kitchen. A balcony area offers a more intimate dining experience, with a 12-seat table for celebrations, and there is also a spirits-focused, speakeasy-like space.

“I thought to myself, we can turn this into the 2022 version of Old Glam Hollywood,” said Sasson, describing his first impressions of the restaurant space. “I envisioned the retro days of Palm Springs and Frank Sinatra vibes. I wanted this to be an homage to that lavish era.”—C.D.

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Marisi Opens in La Jolla, Calif.

Eating out in La Jolla, an upscale beach neighborhood north of San Diego, offers everything from al fresco taco stands to fine dining above the scenic coastline. In recent years, the oceanside enclave has evolved into an elevated and innovative food town. Case in point, chef Chad Huff, formerly of Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Providence in Hollywood, migrated south to debut Italian restaurant Marisi on Aug. 31, teaming with bar and spirits creative director Beau du Bois, formerly of The Restaurant at Meadowood (the Grand Award winner in Napa Valley that burned down in a 2020 wildfire).

Housed in a remodeled old building, Marisi takes inspiration from Italy’s Amalfi Coast, with cheery hues of blue, green, yellow and pink, complemented by vintage art prints, mosaic tiled floors and fresh flowers throughout the space. The 100-seat restaurant includes an enormous covered patio, a half-moon bar and an open kitchen with a brick and tile hearth.

The menu, which also takes inspiration from the Italian coast, focuses on handmade pastas and wood-fired dishes from the hearth. A range of homemade classics blends with coastal fare, often with unique spins. “For our squash blossoms, we’ve combined two traditional dishes. Instead of classic cheese stuffing, we’ve stuffed fried squash blossoms with caponata,” said Huff. For a current pappardelle dish, he uses heritage rye from Tehachapi Grain Project, grown near the Tehachapi Mountains, northwest of Los Angeles, for the pasta and makes a duck ragu with preserved lemons for a lighter take. “We keep classic Italian techniques while sourcing the best, local California ingredients,” he added.

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/tt_marisidining102022_1600.jpg] [credit= (Kimberly Motos)] [alt= A dining room at Marisi with one aqua wall, pink-cushioned banquettes and a mosaic tiled floor][end: article-img-container]

Wine director Chris Plaia has built a list shy of 90 offerings divided mainly between Italy and California, except for a smattering of Champagnes. He has given special attention to smaller Italian winemakers, he said. “I’m a huge fan of wines from some of Italy’s less explored regions, such as the Valle d’Aosta, Liguria and Alto-Adige. These wines have a unique character to them and their QPR [quality-to-price ratio] is off the charts.” A fine example is a Schiava from Alto Adige producer Elena Walch.

Creating a diverse list with bottles at every price point was important, Plaia added, from quality $40 bottles to splurgy options, such as Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. “Most of the wines on the list are organically and biodynamically farmed,” Plaia noted. “Technically speaking, our program is made predominantly of natural wines; however, they are very clean expressions of the style.” Marisi offers 20 wines by the glass and also features an array of classic Italian aperitivi, such as vermouth and housemade limoncello, and an Italian pilsner brewed in-house.—A.R.

On Aug. 27, nearly 600 wine aficionados flocked to Oakville’s Renteria 360 Vineyard for the 15th annual Harvest Stomp auction, a night of live music and great food for a worthy cause. This year’s event raised $3.3 million, surpassing last year’s total by $600,000. Harvest Stomp supports Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), which seeks to promote and preserve Napa vineyards, and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, founded by NVG in 2011 to provide educational opportunities, English literacy programs and more for farmworkers.

The auction “celebrated the American and migrant farmers, caretakers of the land and all the families building a legacy for Napa Valley agriculture,” according to its website. Harvest Stomp and its beneficiaries also advocate for change on issues such as climate resiliency, wildfire protection and sustainable agriculture.

“It was great to be with people who care so deeply about the Napa Valley and its farmworkers. The generosity shown in this 15th anniversary year of Stomp was unmatched,” said auction co-chairs John and Michele Truchard, owners of JaM Cellars and FARM Napa Valley Vineyard Management, in a statement.

Guests enjoyed a reception featuring top bottlings from wineries such as Alpha Omega, Cade, Hall Napa Valley, JaM Cellars, Schramsberg, Tres Perlas, Venge Vineyards and Vineyard 29. A Tex-Mex dinner was served at picnic tables under the stars as the bidding began.

The live auction raised over $1.2 million and featured 11 lots, many of which included wine. The top live auction lot, which sold for $425,000, was “Grands Crus, Bon Voyage,” an eight-day Bordeaux tour for six led by Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci and featuring a lunch at Château Mouton Rothschild with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild.

Among the other top lots was “Different Paths, Common Purpose,” which included 10 cases of one-of-a-kind To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon created by Andy Beckstoffer and Salvador Renteria, founder of Renteria Vineyard Management, whose son Oscar was an auction co-chair. The crowd gave Salvador a standing ovation as the lot was introduced. For the “Screaming Eagle, Holy Grail” lot, founding winemaker Jean Phillips donated a magnum of Screaming Eagle 1992 in memory of Ron Kuhn, the founder of Pillar Rock. Both lots sold for $100,000.

Caroline Feuchuk, NVG marketing manager, told Wine Spectator that while most lots have retained an experiential aspect, they’ve become more dynamic overall. “The experiences went from weekend stays to weeklong stays, and from celebrating Napa to celebrating Napa along with experiences in sister wine regions abroad,” she said. “It’s always an incredible feeling being in a space surrounded by people raising paddles to protect Napa Valley agricultural land and support farmworker education.”

[article-img-container][src=2022-10/ns_stomp101822_1600.jpg] [credit=(Suzanne Becker Bronk)] [alt=Harvest Stomp] [end: article-img-container]

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In a merger of French wine titans, François Pinault’s Artémis Domaines—the owner of iconic wineries such as Bordeaux’s Château Latour, Burgundy’s Clos de Tart and Napa’s Domaine Eisele Vineyard—is buying a majority stake in Maisons & Domaines Henriot, which owns Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy, William Fèvre in Chablis, Maison Henriot in Champagne and Beaux Frères in Oregon. The Henriot family will become minority shareholders in the combined company.

“The merger of Maisons & Domaines Henriot and Artémis Domaines is a wonderful opportunity to bring together the treasures of our wine heritage under the same banner,” said François Pinault in a statement. “It is a guarantee that a French group will ensure the long-term preservation of such jewels and continue the quest for excellence that has marked their prestigious history.”

Frédéric Engerer, managing director of Artémis Domaines, will oversee all the wineries, with the help of a supervisory board chaired by Gilles de Larouzière Henriot, the current CEO of Henriot. The deal closed today, the firms announced. A purchase price was not disclosed.

“For the estates of our family group, this alliance is full of promise,” said de Larouzière Henriot in a statement. “With Artémis Domaines, we share a deep attachment to the exceptional wine heritage of France and the ambition to fully develop the incomparable ensemble that we constitute through the combination of our estates. This operation is intended to be carried out over several generations, in the image of the long time that makes great wines.”

The Henriot family got their start in winemaking in Champagne, establishing their house in 1808. De Larouzière Henriot’s uncle, Joseph Henriot, grew the company after taking over in 1957. He also took on prime roles at Charles Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot and then the LVMH group before leaving to return his focus to the family firm. In 1995, he purchased Bouchard, a historic Burgundy négociant that had fallen on hard times. He and his team invested and restored its reputation. Henriot also bought William Fèvre in Chablis. After his death in 2015, the company continued to grow under de Larouzière Henriot, expanding to America when it bought Oregon’s Beaux Frères in 2017.

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François Pinault is one of the world’s richest men. Having come from humble origins in Brittany, he went on to build a lumber company and then a retail chain before establishing Kering, a luxury giant that includes fashion icons such as Alexander McQueen and Gucci. Artémis is his family’s investment company, which began its wine focus when Pinault purchased Château Latour in 1993. In recent years, under Engerer’s management, Artémis has bought some of the world’s most iconic wineries, including Clos de Tart in Morey-Saint-Denis, Château Grillet in the Northern Rhône, Napa’s Eisele Vineyard and a minority stake in Champagne Jacquesson. The company also owns Christie’s, one of the wine world’s leading auction houses.

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