Tag: Wine

A new study by Spanish researchers has found fresh evidence that following the Mediterranean diet, including wine in moderation, can lead to better heart health. The research is notable because it examines how our bodies metabolize the polyphenols found in foods and wine in the diet, and how those polyphenols could be working to help our bodies on a molecular level.

Going molecular

Scientists have long known about the potential health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which involves consuming mostly fruits, vegetables, seafood, nuts, whole grains and olive oil, as well as moderate amounts of wine. Those benefits are likely thanks, in part, to the diet’s high levels of polyphenols, organic compounds found in fruits, vegetables, chocolate, tea and wine.

But how polyphenols behave in the body remains poorly understood. Studies have found that many polyphenols are quickly broken down. Relatively few of the antioxidants in a kale salad or glass of Cabernet reach the bloodstream in their original form.

Rather than getting absorbed in the small intestine, many polyphenols pass into the colon, where the gut microbiota metabolize them into related compounds. Those microbial polyphenols may have different health effects than their precursor molecules. And that metabolization appears crucial for unlocking their health benefits.

Measuring the impact

In the new study, “Association of Microbiota Polyphenols with Cardiovascular Health in the Context of a Mediterranean Diet,” which was published in January in Food Research International, the researchers analyzed data from the PREDIMED trial, a randomized controlled trial of the Mediterranean diet’s ability to prevent cardiovascular disease in older people. For the new study, the researchers randomly selected 200 participants from PREDIMED’s Barcelona study center and compared the levels of five microbial phenolic metabolites in urine samples with the participants’ adherence to the Mediterranean diet and their cardiovascular health.

They found that people who most consistently followed the Mediterranean diet had the highest levels of microbial polyphenols in their urine, which correlated with improved cardiovascular health. Dr. Rosa Lamuela-Raventós, the study’s lead author, is a professor of nutrition, food science and gastronomy at the University of Barcelona and principal investigator at the Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN). She told Wine Spectator that the study affirms the Mediterranean diet’s link with good health.

“With this study we observe that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have higher amounts of microbial phenolic metabolites that are associated with better cardiovascular health,” she said. “I believe that the Mediterranean diet is very rich in polyphenols and other bioactive compounds and that the usual fat [used] in the Mediterranean countries, virgin olive oil, helps to increase the bioavailability of [dietary] polyphenols.”

Fab 5 polyphenols

The researchers looked for five specific microbial phenolic metabolites: protocatechuic acid, enterodiol glucuronide, enterolactone glucuronide, urolithin B glucuronide and vanillic acid glucuronide.

Protocatechuic acid is found in wine, especially white wine, and has been linked to improved bone mineral density in older women, among other potential benefits. Higher levels of urolithin B glucuronide were strongly associated with lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Urolithins are found in significant amounts in walnuts, pomegranates and oak-aged red wines.

Limitations

The study examined the effects of the Mediterranean diet as a whole, not wine specifically. And while wine made up most of the alcohol consumption among PREDIMED participants, the study did not differentiate between types of alcohol consumed or link wine consumption with any particular health outcomes. And there are many other microbial polyphenols that may influence health that the study did not focus on.

Just as wine is only one part of the Mediterranean diet, the researchers suggest that microbial polyphenols appear to improve heart health when acting as a team: “Notably, individual microbial phenolic metabolites did not seem to benefit overall [cardiovascular health], suggesting that the phenolic metabolites may have a positive impact on cardiovascular health in combination rather than individually.”

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There’s a new restaurant on the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles. Actually, that’s an understatement: The floor has multiple new restaurants. Earlier this year, chef Kevin Luzande—formerly of Acre Restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico—debuted Sendero, a project encompassing four culinary concepts. These join a global portfolio of impressive restaurants in the Ritz-Carlton family, including 13 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners.

The four restaurants draw from Luzande’s experiences traveling the Pan-American Highway to Latin American countries along the Pacific coastline; indeed, Sendero translates to “path” in Spanish, and the concepts are connected by a literal pathway. “As a native Angeleno, and surrounded by the Latin community, I’ve always been excited by the cuisine and culture in Mexico, Central and South America,” Luzande told Wine Spectator via email. “It’s an honor and privilege to share my interpretation.”

The first two concepts to premier are Corteza and Leña. Inspired by Mexico’s coastal Baja region, Corteza puts the spotlight on seafood with dishes like Peruvian-style ceviches and a Portuguese stew of clams, shrimp and octopus. Leña, a steak house, draws influence from Argentina and offers Wagyu steaks as well as seafood platters, carpaccio and grilled provolone-style cheese (aka provoleta). “Creating a unique menu for four dining concepts has been the most exciting challenge of my career,” Luzande explained. “We hope guests will enjoy discovering dishes that they might not find in another restaurant in Los Angeles.”

Next to open will be Sendero’s Agave Library, a semi-private space for guests to enjoy a collection of agave-based spirits like tequila and mezcal, including rarer bottlings. Complementing these drinks are food pairings like a flaming chocolate skull. Later this year comes Volante, the fourth concept, a chef’s table where Luzande will offer a tasting menu.

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Erik Intermill, assistant director of food and beverage at the hotel, has put together Sendero’s growing, 220-label list. There’s plenty from Argentina, California, Chile and Uruguay, including Mendoza Malbec, Napa Cabernet and white wine from Casablanca Valley. “The journey starts in California and ends at the southern tip of Chile,” said Intermill, noting the wide range of wines available along that route. One of the list’s main focuses is on winemakers from California and Europe who have established wineries in South America, represented by the likes of Paul Hobb’s Viña Cobos.

Additional options from France (particularly Burgundy and the Loire), Germany, New Zealand and beyond add even more diverse options. “Our wine list will continue to evolve as we procure those rare, allocated wines and library vintage releases,” Intermill explained. “But we are confident that our patrons will always find the perfect wine for a personalized and memorable experience.”

EDG Interior Architecture + Design has given each space a distinctive look: Corteza features a turquoise bar, terracotta tiles and lively colors and textiles. In contrast, Leña, which combines influences from Argentina’s Gaucho culture and Art Deco design, is adorned with charcoal walls and draperies. Volante’s design draws from the bars of the upscale Recoleta neighborhood in Buenos Aires, with gold elements and brass lighting fixtures. Uniting all these spaces are impressive views of the Los Angeles skyline.

“We want Sendero to fulfill a taste for wanderlust across the Latin cuisines and cultures,” said Luzande. “We invite guests to take this journey with us.”—C.D.

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Eli Zabar Reopens Eli’s Table on Manhattan’s Upper East Side

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In late March, following a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eli’s Table reopened in its longtime Third Avenue location, attached to the flagship Eli’s Market boutique grocery, on New York’s Upper East Side. A former Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winner, from entrepreneur Eli Zabar, it remains a destination for wine lovers.

Eli’s Table first opened as Taste in 2003, followed by a revamp under its current name in 2014. Other Eli Zabar projects on the Upper East Side include Bar 91 (a casual wine bar and dinner spot), Eli’s List (a wine shop), Eli’s Night Shift (a beer bar) and E.A.T. (a café and takeout spot), home of the recently noteworthy $30 ham-and-cheese sandwich. (Zabar’s, on the Upper West Side, is run by a different set of family members.)

Chef Moctezuma Garcia, who has worked with Eli Zabar for more than 20 years, retains his focus on the season’s best ingredients, many of which are from Eli’s rooftop gardens. The current menu spotlights early spring’s bounty with dishes such as white asparagus, Maryland soft shell crab, homemade pappardelle with rock shrimp and polenta with morel mushrooms. Fans of Eli’s Table classics can expect to see veal Milanese and matzo ball soup, along with the restaurant’s variety of desserts.

Wine director Kilian Robin, who oversees wine for all Eli Zabar ventures, has put together a rotating selection of around 30 by-the-glass offerings, six poured using a Coravin preservation system. This includes older vintages from Burgundy’s Arlaud and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey.

Altogether, the bottle list boasts more than 1,000 selections, with wines from Eli Zabar’s own cellar (now approaching 60,000 bottles) added as they reach maturity. “We’re not going to sell anything that we don’t think has reached the beginning of its drinking window,” Sasha Zabar, Eli’s son, explained to Wine Spectator. (Guests can read more about this philosophy in the list’s introduction.) “At Eli’s Table, we’re definitely ‘ageist’ in that we believe age matters.”

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Eli Zabar continued buying wines during the pandemic, “protecting the integrity of the verticals and maintaining the allocations of rare wines,” and many wines that reached maturity during the restaurant’s closure are now in the Eli’s Table lineup. The program boasts particular depth in Burgundy, represented by leading domaines: Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, Simon Bize and Marquis d’Angerville, among others. Guests can find rare offerings from the rest of France (especially Champagne), Italy and other European countries as well. “We also care a lot about the other places where we can have fun discovering who’s new and exciting,” said Robin. “[For instance], we believe Spain is the most exciting place to discover precise, well-made wines … from a new wave of winemakers.”

Per Sasha Zabar, the restaurant remains “faithful to our original philosophy: seasonal, pristine ingredients, prepared and presented in a simple, unfussy way accompanied by Old World wines from growers respectful of their land.” With the reopening, the restaurant’s glassware, cocktail selection and dining room have been updated; still, the focus on creating a fun, relaxed and educational wine experience endures. To that end, Eli’s Table will host wine events, including tastings with food pairings and region- or producer-focused wine dinners.—K.M.

Wine Spectator kicked off this year’s three-city Grand Tour at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., on April 15. More than 1,000 attendees swirled and tasted 230-plus outstanding wines, each one reviewed at 90 points or higher. Numerous winery owners and winemakers were on hand to pour for the thirsty crowd of consumers, restaurant owners and retailers who traveled from Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and points beyond for the event.

“The tasting is incredible, even better than last year. It’s not only crowded, but what’s most incredible is the amazing selection of wines,” said Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi, owner of Bindi Sergardi in Chianti Classico. “I really have all the world here in Florida. It’s important for us producers to show our faces, show our wines and show our land.”

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Sergardi’s colleague from northern Italy, Marco Stevanoni, importer for Bastianich winery, echoed her sentiments: “It’s great to be able to be exposed to consumers, to be able to talk to them, to express all of our story. It’s an amazing evening that we love to be a part of.”

For winemakers, the event was exposure to a booming market. Alessandra Angelini, who was representing her family’s Altesino winery and pouring its Brunello di Montalcino 2017, noted that Florida is a growing hub for fine wines and that events like the Grand Tour raise awareness for the quality of top wines from around the world.

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For consumers, the evening was a great opportunity to sample some of the most exciting reds and whites, many of which cost more than $100 at retail. “For me, the constellation of brands that [Wine Spectator] brings together in a night is world class,” said Mikel Muga, representing his family’s Bodegas Muga winery in Spain’s Rioja region. “I’ve never been in a tasting that’s able to show so many top, top names from around the world.”

The event required some logistical magic, as record rains pummeled south Florida just a few days earlier. Fort Lauderdale experienced more than 25 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service office in Miami. The Wine Spectator events team was able to get all the wines delivered by Saturday, just in time to be ready for guests.

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Wineries showcased their flagship labels—Piper-Heidsieck poured its Brut Champagne Rare 2008, Louis Latour offered its Corton-Charlemagne 2019 and Damilano served its Barolo Cannubi Riserva 1752 2013. California wine fans were treated to Diamond Creek’s Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red Rock Terrace 2019, Merry Edwards’ Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Meredith Estate 2020 and Louis M. Martini’s Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Stagecoach Vineyard 2019.

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Read our Editors’ Guide to the 2023 Grand Tour Tastings! To assist with your evening’s explorations, five members of Wine Spectator’s editorial team share the wines they’re excited to try.

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There were rare wines and older vintages to taste as well. Attendees could sample M. Chapoutier’s Hermitage Chante-Alouette 2018—with less than 75 cases imported, it’s difficult to find. Château de Beaucastel treated guests to its Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009, while Pecchenino poured its Barolo Le Coste di Monforte Riserva 2008. The oldest wine of the tasting was Graham’s Tawny Port Single Harvest The Apprentice 1997, while the most highly rated (at 98 points) was Dow’s Vintage Port 2016.

Several wineries, such as Montalcino’s Valdicava, chose to present the 2013 vintage, now approaching a decade of aging. “It’s always a pleasure to be at these special events, and we always try to bring something nice,” said Valdicava co-owner PierFilippo Abruzzese. “2013 was a fantastic vintage and really shows the drinkability that this young Brunello has, but after 10 years is beginning to enter a wonderful drinking window.”

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Miami native Chris Gorman of Gorman wines was thrilled to be back home, and his Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain The Bully 2019 was a big hit with the local crowd, many of whom had photos taken with the 12-liter display bottle. He and his team are looking forward to the upcoming Chicago Grand Tour event and the opportunity to explore the Windy City, hopefully by taking in a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and visiting a few renowned restaurants and music venues.

The Grand Tour continues in Chicago at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk on April 22, then in Las Vegas at the Resorts World Las Vegas on April 29. You can get tickets at GrandTour.WineSpectator.com.

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Michel Reybier, the billionaire hotelier and owner of St.-Estèphe second-growth Château Cos-d’Estournel, has purchased neighboring winery Château Cos Labory. Reybier finalized a deal a few weeks ago, purchasing the fifth-growth from the Audoy family for an undisclosed sum.

The deal expands Reybier’s growing wine empire and his presence in St.-Estèphe. Cos Labory, which has a track record of producing very good, but not outstanding, Bordeaux for under $50 a bottle, gains a new owner with deep pockets. This is not Reybier’s first expansion in St-Estèphe. In 2017, he acquired neighboring Château Pomeys, which he converted to a boutique restaurant and hotel, renaming it Maison d’Estournel.

“We feel proud and fortunate to be handing over the reins of Cos Labory to Michel Reybier and his family and remain confident that they will continue to manage the estate with respect and commitment while pursuing new and ambitious directions,” said proprietor Bernard Audoy.

Neighboring terroirs

Despite the proximity to Cos-d’Estournel, which Reybier bought in 2000, his plan for Cos Labory is to maintain its unique identity. “I would like to thank the Audoy family for the qualitative approach and passion it has dedicated to the wines of Cos Labory,” said Reybier. “This is what has guided my decision to perpetuate the estate’s independence while pursuing the level of excellence made possible by this great terroir of St.-Estèphe.”

Cos-d’Estournel’s cellarmaster Angélique Vigouroux will remain in her post while also taking on the job of technical director at Cos Labory, working with Cyrille Audoin, who will manage Labory’s 86.5 acres of vineyards. “The first step will be in the vineyard, where we will discover more in depth the terroir of Cos Labory and its specificities in order to extract the best potential,” said Reybier.

The vineyards are planted to 55 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 percent Merlot, 5 percent Cabernet Franc and 4 percent Petit Verdot and produce about 6,500 cases a year.

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Intertwined history

For 13 years during the 19th century, Cos Labory and Cos-d’Estournel were intertwined, and this historic connection appeals to Reybier. Cos Labory was originally known as Cos Gaston when it was owned by Pierre Gaston in the 18th century. The estate changed names when it was inherited by Gaston’s granddaughter, who married a Labory. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, the eponymous founder of Cos-d’Estournel, bought Cos Labory in 1847, but the two estates weren’t under the same owner for long.

D’Estournel sold his business in 1852, and eight years later, the new owner sold off Cos Labory. It then passed into the hands of the most recent owners in the 1930s. With Bernard Audoy, 69, hitting retirement, and neither his brothers nor any of their children in a position to take over the estate, they decided to sell to Reybier.

Cos Labory will join a prestigious stable of fine wines already owned by Reybier. In Tokay he owns Tokaj-Hétszőlő, in Provence he bought Château La Mascaronne in a partnership with retired basketball star Tony Parker, and in Champagne he makes a high-end Michel Reybier cuvée as well as the Jeeper line. He is also heavily invested in luxury beauty and health clinics in Switzerland and an extensive luxury hotel group.

For decades, researchers have tried to answer two seemingly simple questions: Is moderate alcohol consumption harmful? And does it provide any health benefits?

A new study claims the answer to both questions is “No.” The researchers found that men who drank up to 45 grams of alcohol a day (around three glasses of wine) and women who drank up to 25 grams (around two glasses) had approximately the same lifespan as people who never drank. However, these moderate drinkers did not appear to enjoy any net health benefits when considering all causes of death. Consistent with previous evidence, heavy drinking (more than around three drinks a day for men, and more than two for women) was associated with significantly increased risk of early death, and women faced greater health risks at lower levels of consumption than men.

The findings prompted a wave of headlines across the media, some of them oversimplifying the risks and benefits of drinking to the point of being confusing or misleading. While the conclusions may encourage other researchers to improve how future alcohol studies are conducted, it’s unclear how much the study contributes to our evolving understanding of the specific links between moderate wine consumption and health.

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What You Need to Know Beyond the Headlines

• • The study looked at all types of alcohol; it did not break out wine, beer and spirits.
• • The study examined “all-cause mortality”—death due to any cause—not the risks and benefits related to individual diseases and other causes of death, including accidents.
• • The study categorized “moderate drinking” as up to around three glasses per day for men and up to two per day for women—higher than the U.S. recommendation.
• • To correct for biases in past studies, researchers broke abstainers into two groups: those who never drank and those who used to drink, but quit.
• • They also corrected for other lifestyle factors—such as diet, exercise and socioeconomic status—that may have skewed results of past studies.
• • For this analysis, researchers divided people into two broad age groups, people ages 19–55 and 56–78. Many alcohol studies focus on older drinkers, potentially making drinking seem healthier than it is, while younger drinkers are more likely to die of alcohol-related injuries.

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The study, “Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality,” was published on March 31 in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers at the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. It received partial funding from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, an NGO, “as a subcontract for a Health Canada grant to develop guidance for Canadians on alcohol and health,” though that department of the government played no role in the study. (Earlier this year, Canada lowered its recommended alcohol consumption guidelines to two drinks or less per week, dramatically less than the current U.S. guidelines of no more than two drinks per day for men and one per day for women.)

The study’s central finding is that moderate drinkers live about as long as people who never drink. There are two valid ways to interpret that statement. On one hand, moderate amounts of alcohol are not harmful and do not shorten drinkers’ lifespans. On the other, moderate amounts of alcohol don’t seem to help prolong life. Since moderate drinkers live about as long as those who never drink, but no longer, the study implies that there are no health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, at least when looking at all causes of death lumped together. That finding contradicts decades of research—including many of the studies included in the analysis—that have linked low and moderate alcohol consumption to improved health. (Research on specific diseases has linked moderate drinking most strongly with improved cardiovascular health.)

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While studying all-cause mortality is good for measuring the effects of methodological biases, “it’s not a good way of getting accurate estimates of the real risk from drinking.”

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Dr. Tim Stockwell—a lead author of the study, former director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Victoria—told Wine Spectator that the analysis “does undermine [past research linking alcohol to heart health, but] it doesn’t eliminate it. This isn’t the final story … we’ve just identified a weakness.”

He also notes the complexity of studying alcohol’s effects on the body: “There are lots of moving parts here, and these aren’t [randomized controlled trials]—these are observational studies. This is life, and there are so many factors influencing our health. It’s really, really hard to tease out what’s due to alcohol and what isn’t.”

The study is a meta-analysis, meaning it presents new statistics based on existing data from multiple studies; it looked at 107 studies conducted between 1980 and 2021 involving a total of over 4.8 million participants between the ages of 19 and 78. The scientists performed a series of adjustments to those analyses to better account for what they say are biases in the methodology of past studies on all-cause mortality and alcohol. According to Stockwell, “These all-cause mortality studies are really imprecise.” Statistically adjusting for biases, the researchers claim, shows that any apparent benefits of moderate alcohol consumption were actually due to methodological flaws.

One of those potential flaws is known as abstainer bias or former drinker bias, often called the “sick quitter” phenomenon. This is the idea that some people in the abstainer control group are actually former drinkers. (Some purported abstainers may also be very occasional drinkers who report never drinking.) Many of these people may have given up alcohol because of health problems, whether due to heavy drinking or something else. Therefore, comparing current drinkers to a non-drinker control group that includes less-healthy former drinkers makes moderate drinkers seem healthier than they are.

While researchers have long been aware of abstainer bias, few have examined its impact on alcohol studies. Of the 107 studies used for this meta-analysis, only 21 did not exhibit any form of abstainer bias. Stockwell and his colleagues hope that other scientists will go to greater lengths to eliminate this bias in future studies.

Another issue with alcohol studies—like all epidemiological, or observational, research—is the difficulty of controlling for other lifestyle factors that influence health. These confounding variables include socioeconomic status, diet, exercise, race, smoking status and more. Many skeptics of wine’s health benefits claim that wine drinkers tend to be healthier to begin with, with better diets, more active lifestyles and better access to healthcare. Though many researchers attempt to control for those factors to isolate the health effects of alcohol consumption, it’s impossible to fully avoid their influence. Of the 107 studies examined, 91 controlled for smoking and 69 adjusted for socioeconomic status, but only 44 controlled for exercise, 28 accounted for race and just 17 did so for diet. Stockwell and his colleagues also noted that future studies should enroll younger drinkers and follow them into old age to reduce bias.

What does the study mean for people who enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner? The research team examined links between any alcohol consumption and any cause of death. Studies have repeatedly shown that wine drinkers enjoy better health outcomes compared to beer and spirits drinkers. Since this study lumped all alcohol together, it may not reflect potential health benefits due to the polyphenols in wine.

Acknowledging that there have been “confusing messages flying around,” Stockwell noted, “We do not think these kinds of studies (on alcohol and death from all causes) are the best way to develop guidance on low-risk drinking—even though in the past these kinds of studies have been used for that purpose.” He says recent research has indicated increased, if small, risk at much lower levels of consumption than previously thought.

By assessing risk of dying from any cause, the study grouped together various diseases—such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes—as well as accidental causes of death. Such accidents are largely tied to binge drinking, which all authorities agree has devastating health consequences and is more common among younger drinkers. It’s not possible to use the meta-analysis’ figures to parse how drinking is related to any given health condition. Stockwell calls for further studies on specific diseases, saying that while studying all-cause mortality is good for measuring the effects of methodological biases, “it’s not a good way of getting accurate estimates of the real risk from drinking.”

These aspects of the study may limit its applicability to the lives of people who mostly or exclusively drink wine, never binge drink and have concerns about their risk of developing particular illnesses—especially cardiovascular disease, which remains the number one cause of death among Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stockwell embraces the need for clearer and more sophisticated ways of “communicating risk in a way that people can get their heads around,” he says. “What’s the scale and scope? How do I decide? What does it mean for me?”

When asked what he hopes current moderate drinkers take away from the study, Stockwell reflected, “I think it’s the duty of the scientific community to be as transparent and rigorous as possible in communicating what we know about potential negative or positive effects of drinking alcohol … so that people can make up their own minds.”

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Dick Erath, a pioneering winemaker and grower who helped lay the foundation for today’s thriving Willamette Valley wine industry, died March 29. He was 87. Erath had been in ill health in recent months and passed away in Vancouver, Wash., where he lived for many years.

Erath was among a small group of like-minded wine lovers who came to Willamette Valley in the 1960s convinced that Pinot Noir had a bright future in Oregon. The group included David Lett, Charles Coury, David Adelsheim and Dick Ponzi. “We relied a lot on each other in those early days,” Ponzi recalled. “We all had the same hardships and shared information with each other freely. He was a charitable guy and would share his time and expertise.”

Friend and fellow winemaker Rollin Soles of Roco winery described Erath as a formidable presence. “He was a passionate guy, a tall and barrel-chested fella,” Soles said. “He had strong opinions and enjoyed a good argument, but he was one of the most open and funny guys I ever met.

Ponzi agreed. “Dick’s stature and his laugh were equally as big. I can hear his laugh now.”

Richard Charles Erath was born Sept. 16, 1935, in Alameda, California. He was fascinated with technology as a youth and after high school joined the United States Naval Reserve and studied electronics and engineering. He started making beer with a friend but quickly switched to wine. In 1965, he made his first barrel of wine in his garage.

After completing enology studies at University of California, Davis, in 1968, Erath relocated his family from California to Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains, where he bought 49 acres and rented an old, unheated logger’s cabin to call home. He planted 23 grape varieties—including Pinot Noir—on four acres the following spring. “He always loved being in the vineyards, probably even more than the winery,” Ponzi recalled.

His first commercial vintage was 1972 and he produced 215 cases of Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Noir. He joined with friend and grower Cal Knudsen to form Erath Knudsen winery in 1975. That partnership split in 1987. Erath built his winery into a hugely successful brand and was producing more than 70,000 cases a year when he sold the business to Washington wine giant Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2006.

With the proceeds of that sale, he established the Erath Family Foundation, which has donated more than $2 million to wine and viticultural education programs at Oregon State University, Linfield College and more.

Erath is survived by his wife of 62 years, C.J. Suzi Erath, and their son, Erik Erath.

Silicon Valley Bank’s assets and liabilities have been bought by First Citizens Bank & Trust, a North Carolina–based bank that has been quietly growing over the last decade, now one of the 20 largest banks in the United States. First Citizens is taking on $110 billion in assets, $56 billion in deposits and $72 billion in loans from SVB, which failed this month after questions arose over the security of its deposits and a flood of account holders began withdrawing all their money in the span of just a few hours.

The deal includes SVB’s wine division, which has been providing financial advice and services to West Coast wineries in recent decades. More than 400 wineries are SVB clients, and the bank currently holds almost $1.2 billion in loans to wine clients.

What does the deal mean for SVB clients?

For starters, their money is secure. First Citizens executives say all SVB branches will be open and that account holders can use their existing debit and credit cards. When the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took control of SVB on March 10, the federal government guaranteed the security of all accounts within a few days. But the long-term picture for the bank was cloudy. The FDIC invited large banks to explore purchasing SVB’s assets. Several looked at the financials before First Citizens made the deal.

First Citizens paid nothing up front. Instead, it gave the FDIC equity appreciation rights in First Citizens stock, which could be worth up to $500 million when cashed out. With roughly $209 billion in assets today, First Citizens has grown rapidly since 2009, in large part by scooping up troubled banks such as SVB. Many of its assets are in North Carolina and South Carolina, but the bank has expanded dramatically on the West Coast.

What about the wine division?

Anyone buying SVB could have decided to take or leave the wine division; the bank is primarily known for its work with the tech industry. Rob McMillan, founder and head of SVB’s wine division, said some banks inquired about buying the wine division separately. But he’s just happy it has a new home. “We don’t have many details, but we know that [the wine division] is included,” McMillan told Wine Spectator about the deal.

McMillan believes that First Citizens could be a good fit for the wine division. First Citizens already has a large agricultural portfolio, with farming clients on both the East and West coasts. “Likely it’s a lot of family farms, which gives them an appreciation for what [SVB does] in the wine industry,” he said.

“The other thing that’s encouraging is this company has a track record of making acquisitions of banks that have different business lines,” McMillan added. “It’s a good indicator that integration will work more toward keeping the businesses as they are versus coming in and making wholesale changes.”

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Champagne Henriot has new owners … again. Six months after Artémis Domaines bought majority control of Maisons & Domaines Henriot, which included the Champagne house as well as Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy, William Fèvre in Chablis and Beaux Frères in Oregon, the Pinault family-owned firm has announced it will sell Champagne Henriot to Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne (TEVC) for an undisclosed sum.

TEVC is the owner of Nicolas Feuillatte, the third-largest Champagne brand in the United States by volume, and the largest union of Champagne cooperatives, representing some 6,000 growers. Why the deal? TEVC executives were looking for a luxury label to add to their growing business. And Artémis already owns another premium Champagne brand.

What TEVC wanted

“Since 2017, Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne was searching for alternative houses to complement the broad international success of Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte,” TEVC general director Christophe Juarez told Wine Spectator. In 1808, the Henriot family established their house, which has enjoyed growing success in recent decades under the late Joseph Henriot.

But Henriot only owns 7.4 acres of vineyards. Juarez believes the ability to align Henriot’s négociant business with top fruit from major regional cooperatives will pay off. And he believes Henriot will give TEVC additional international visibility and sales expertise.

This will also allow TEVC to continue its shift toward premium wine. Henriot isn’t the first négociant that TEVC has added to its portfolio—in 2019, the company purchased Henri Abelé, rebranding it as Abelé 1757. As with Abelé, Henriot will run independently from Nicolas Feuillatte. “Champagne Henriot is at a much more mature development than Abelé 1757 when we bought it back in 2019,” said Juarez. “[It] is already well established and it will be even more autonomous.”

And what Artémis wanted

Artémis Domaines won’t be left without a Champagne brand. In December 2022, the company completed the purchase of Champagne Jacquesson. While Artémis executives say the Jacquesson purchase wasn’t the driver behind spinning off Henriot, they do admit to wanting to focus entirely on the one Champagne brand. A representative for the company said this would enable them to concentrate fully on Jacquesson. The representative added that after the Maison Henriot merger, the company received several inquiries about whether Henriot was for sale.

Established by François Pinault, founder of the Keurig luxury group, the Artémis Domaines portfolio includes Château Latour in Bordeaux, Clos de Tart and Domaine d’Eugénie in Burgundy, Château-Grillet in the Rhône Valley and Eisele Vineyard in Napa Valley. The sale is pending regulatory approvals, and company officials believe it should close by September.

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After more than 17 years producing some of Tuscany’s most renowned wines in Bolgheri, Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heinz is going back to Bordeaux. Wine Spectator has learned that Lawrence Wine Estates has hired Heinz to serve as CEO of Château Lascombes. Partners Gaylon Lawrence and Carlton McCoy purchased the Margaux second growth six months ago.

“Axel is a master of his craft and the work he has done while overseeing Ornellaia and Masseto have taken this already heralded estate to new heights,” said McCoy, CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates. “I am thrilled to work with Axel to bring Château Lascombes to its full potential as one of the greatest wine estates in the world.”

Heinz has been estate director of Ornellaia and Masseto in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany since 2015, after starting as winemaker for Ornellaia in 2005. He has earned a reputation as one of the world’s top winemakers during his time there. Born in Germany, Heinz grew up in Bordeaux, studied agronomy with a specialization in viticulture and enology at the University of Bordeaux and worked at Château La Tour Carnet and other Bordeaux wineries during his early career.

“In life, there are moments where you feel you must make important steps,” Heinz told Wine Spectator. “For personal reasons, for my family and professional reasons, it was time to go back home. I’m half Bordelais, so it was time to make the move.”

He added that he felt Ornellaia was in good hands. “I’ll do my best to make a great transition. We have a seasoned team and I’m sure they will continue to do great work.”

[article-img-container][src=2023-03/ns_carlton032323_1600.jpg] [credit=(Aaron Wojack)] [alt=Gaylon Lawrence and Carlton McCoy] [end: article-img-container]

Gaylon 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. Lascombes has a long history dating back to the 17th century, but local industry members say it needs investment.

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Along with opening a new restaurant in White Plains, N.Y., and another in Manhattan, acclaimed chef-restaurateur David Burke has brought his flair to Rhode Island, his first location in the state. Earlier this month, Burke and David Burke Hospitality Management (DBHM) took over food and beverage operations at the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences in Richmond, R.I., including the 3,500-acre luxury resort’s centerpiece restaurant, Double Barrel Kitchen.

“I got a phone call from the owner of the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences, Paul Milhailides, last fall,” Burke told Wine Spectator via email. “It’s a great partnership. He’s got an energy that matches mine.”

Now called Double Barrel Steak by David Burke, the restaurant offers an overhauled menu featuring everything from regional favorites (lobster dumplings, oysters dressed with crab) to dishes like burrata and prosciutto salad and butternut squash ravioli. This is, of course, in addition to a wide range of steaks that are Himalayan salt–aged on site (from an 8-ounce filet mignon to a 40-ounce tomahawk), classic steak-house fixings and other seafood options such as swordfish chops—a Burke mainstay. “The location itself is the main inspiration,” said Burke, “the surrounding nature and resources, like Rhode Island’s fishing and agriculture industries.”

The new menu is a fitting match for a Preferred Hotels & Resorts destination that is centered around the outdoors and country sport. “[Burke is] perfect for a high-class, white-glove, sportsman–oriented property,” said Milhailides. “He loves working with game and saltwater fish.”

General manager Steve Lieberman oversees a list of more than 200 wines, distilled from a cellar worth around $1 million. The main focus is on steak-friendly reds from regions such as Napa Valley, the Rhône Valley, Bordeaux and Piedmont, but also well represented are Burgundy, Sonoma Pinot Noir, dessert wines and more. “We are privileged to have adopted the Preserve’s list, which is a great Old World classic one, like that of a collector who’s been curating it for 20 years, with a lot of big red verticals,” Lieberman explained, noting that he plans to add picks like Malbec and Petite Sirah, working with the resort’s director of operations. “Our goal is to make it the best list in Rhode Island and one of the top on the East Coast.”

The restaurant stretches across an impressive 7,000-square-foot space, with seating for 350. In addition to wood and leather elements and original art depicting horses, the space now boasts a new Himalayan salt wall, a hallmark of Burke’s restaurants.

Alongside Double Barrel Steak, the Preserve’s room service and special events, Burke’s team will oversee operations at the resort’s H2O Café, White Birch Café, Bourbon-focused Maker’s Mark Hobbit Houses and Cohiba & Laphroaig Safari Tasting Tents, where guests pair small plates with Scotch and cigars.

“The natural beauty of the Preserve is astounding, and it puts people in a relaxed, happy mood,” said Burke. “It’s up to us to assure that continues and actually improves. They’re in a special place, and they expect a special dining experience; we have to meet—and are meeting—those expectations.”

Double Barrel Steak joins a wide collection of restaurants, bars and event spaces where the culinary vision is led by David Burke and his team, including the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence–winning Red Horse by David Burke in Rumson, N.J.—C.D.

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Left Bank Brasserie Expands into Oakland, Calif.

[article-img-container][src=2023-03/tt_leftbankdining032323_1600.jpg] [credit= (Eric Rorer)] [alt= The dining room at Left Bank Brasserie in Jack London Square with wooden bistro tables and wallpaper depicting San Francisco Bay Area scenes][end: article-img-container]

Since the first Left Bank Brasserie opened in 2003 on San Jose’s vibrant Santana row, the Parisian-inspired restaurant—today a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner—has gained two Award of Excellence–winning siblings in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Larkspur and Menlo Park. On Feb. 17, a fourth location opened in Oakland’s Jack London Square, a waterfront dining and retail area.

Owned by Vine Hospitality, the brasseries are part of a group of diverse establishments throughout the Bay Area, including two Best of Award–winning LB Steak restaurants and Award of Excellence winner Meso Modern Mediterranean.

“When I first became aware of the opportunity at Jack London Square, I was thrilled by the thought of bringing our brasserie to such a vibrant part of Oakland,” said Left Bank Brasserie and LB Steak CEO Obadiah Ostergard. “The moment we saw the space, we knew it was perfect for Left Bank. Who wouldn’t want oysters and Champagne on this beautiful waterfront?”

The all-day menu will look familiar to those who have dined at Left Bank’s other restaurants, with dishes such as the popular “Left Bank Petit Plateau,” a platter of raw seafood (including oysters) for up to three guests. In addition to brasserie hallmarks like salade niçoise, moules frites and boeuf Bourguignon, executive chef Larry Finn has added a personal touch with new menu items like the poulet frit, fried chicken served with root vegetable remoulade inspired by his experience dining at New York’s Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken.

The wine program, too, sticks to Left Bank’s roots, with an impressive mix of selections primarily sourced from California and France. However, wine and spirits director Serena Harkey said the Jack London space allowed them to offer more, including a dedicated Champagne room. “We currently have just under 150 wine selections, but I hope to double this over the year,” she detailed, noting that Oakland is a community of wine lovers. “We aspire to provide them with one of the more seriously impressive, yet approachable programs in the area.”

[article-img-container][src=2023-03/tt_leftbankfood032323_1600.jpg] [credit= (Leila Seppa)] [alt= Left Bank Brasserie’s shellfish platter, with lobster in the center surrounded by raw oysters, on a white marble tabletop accompanied by glasses and a bottle of white wine][end: article-img-container]

Per Harkey, cocktails are also a highlight at the new restaurant, including twists on American standards, as well as alcohol-free options “that have the look and feel of a cocktail without the buzz.”

The restaurant occupies the former Belcampo Meat Co. space, a sprawling 5,500-square-foot warehouse with an additional 2,000 square feet for outdoor dining along the waterfront. The interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of a classic French bistro, with mosaic tiled floors, tin ceilings, wooden bistro tables and tufted leather banquettes. In addition, Ostergard said the team refreshed Left Bank’s typical design palette, opting for light blues and deep hues of red, along with custom wallpaper with images of the Port of Oakland and Bay Bridge.

Francophiles can also enjoy Left Bank’s “Fun and French” events throughout the year, including Bastille Day, an Oyster Fête and a celebration of the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau.—A.R.