Wine Enthusiast

In 2023, an inferno raged across La Palma, in Spain’s Canary Islands, engulfing ancient terraced vineyards near the Taburiente volcano crater. Years of drought had dried even the perpetual cloud forest to tinder. The heat was sucked into the Vinos Tendal winery, causing an explosion that instantly destroyed everything. Metal turned to liquid, barrels combusted, glass melted. Miraculously, a stash of full bottles was spared. They were imprinted by the flash of heat, but still drinkable—nearly

“If you’re going to burn your toast, it doesn’t matter if you start with a fancy loaf of bread,” says Eric Olson, director of distillery operations for Industrious Spirits Company (ISCO) in Providence, Rhode Island. ISCO makes Ostreida, an enticingly briny, divisive vodka distilled from local corn and whole oysters. In other words: What’s the point of distilling quality ingredients into a vodka that tastes like nothing, by design? Increasingly, vodka makers are turning out distillate

Key Points State-run liquor lotteries offer consumers fair, equal access to acquire rare and limited-release spirits. These lotteries provide an alternative to chaotic first-come sales, ensuring high-demand bottles are distributed equitably at retail prices. Sean Murawski developed a taste for good bourbon back when he was bartending his way through college. Since then, the Northern Virginia-based military officer has been building up his rare bottle collection the old-fashioned way:

The pressure of hosting has weighed on humanity since the dawn of civilization. Despite thousands of years of practice, if this summer’s film and streaming releases are to be believed, the practice of serving wine and spirits to guests is just as fraught as ever. From the panicked hosts in Olivia Wilde’s marital satire The Invite and Katie Dippold’s nautical horror comedy Widow’s Bay to the exploitative guests who eat and drink everything in sight in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, hosting a

There’s a persistent idea that the best wine to pair with “Asian food”—as if it’s a monolith—is a crisp and lightly sweet white wine. To be fair, this is a fabulous option for simultaneously spicy, pungent, and umamirich flavors. But Sichuan food (and its three major styles, Shanghebang, Xiaohebang, and Xiahebang) is especially complex, and when confronted with a spread of dishes that balance fiery, sweet, sour, salty, pickled, and fermented ingredients, you may be baffled. The goal is t

Award-winning cool-climate Pinot Noir and Siegerrebe that sings of white flowers and tropical fruits? That’s not what comes to mind when you think “Washington State.” Yet the Puget Sound AVA—Washington’s only appellation west of the Cascade Mountains, spanning a 200-mile corridor north and south of Seattle—is evolving into one of the country’s most promising regions Where the rest of Washington is arid and semi-arid continental desert, with barely six inches of rain in most years, this soggy

It should come as no surprise that a group nicknamed “the forgotten generation” is routinely ignored Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation Xers are used to shrugging in the shadows. Members of the wine industry spend countless hours debating how best to attract and retain Millennials and Gen Z, and love comparing them to their Boomer predecessors. Meanwhile, Gen Xers are rarely mentioned. Their spending habits and side parts don’t inspire think pieces or TikTok memes, either. It all raise

Key Points Historically focused on volume over quality, wine co-ops provided vital economic stability for independent farming families. Today, modern co-ops prioritize excellence by incentivizing high quality and adopting sustainable, site-focused farming methods. This collaborative approach yields precise, terroir-driven wines that offer exceptional value for consumers. For most of the 20th century, wine cooperatives produced bottles that were widely considered affordable and som

Despite bordering two of the country’s most respected winemaking states, Idaho’s wine scene remains somewhat of a hidden gem. That doesn’t mean it’s a secret to the people who live in and around Idaho wine country, nor is it to the winemakers who have experienced industry-defying growth. While it may not have the name recognition of its Pacific Northwest neighbors, like Oregon Pinot Noir or Washington Cabernet, Idaho wines are holding their own, racking up high scores at exceptional value. Th

Sure, most people know Sarah Jessica Parker for playing the shoe-obsessed, “can’t help but wonder”-ing lead of the hit show Sex and the City, but Carrie Bradshaw is just one role in Parker’s long list of endeavors. The Emmy and Golden Globe winner has found success in the worlds of Broadway shows, film and television production, and publishing. But this is the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, so we’re here to talk about wine. In 2019, Parker began working with Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne of the N

Eat & Drink Restaurante Noélia — Seafood-heavy cuisine in a fishing village served with friendly service. Austa — Stylish all-day restaurant with its own vegetable garden and low-intervention wines. Sul — Family run coffee-shop-slash-wine-bar serving small plates and natural wines. Ocean — Two-Michelin-starred fine dining experience. A Ver Tavira — New to the scene, one-Michelin-starred fine dining experience. Wineries atlas.land — Italian winemaker Filippo Pozzi crafts te

During the last 15 years, most American wine travel followed a script: appointment-only tastings in hushed rooms you felt lucky to enter, and sweeping vineyards you rarely saw up close. It could be beautiful. But it could also be expensive, intimidating, and exhausting—the kind of so-called vacation that requires a spreadsheet and a hired driver. But my most recent wine trip was nothing like that. Last spring, in Northern Michigan, I found myself drinking frosé in a lavender field at Brys Est

Chenin Blanc might just be the most versatile wine grape on the planet. Produced around the globe, from its roots in France’s Loire Valley to South Africa, California, and well beyond, it takes on a life of its own in each place it’s grown.  The high-acid grape is best known for producing fresh, vibrant wines—especially when grown in cooler climates. But it’s also a shape-shifter made into a wide range of styles, including still, sparkling, and pétillant forms, with levels of residual su

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At its heyday in the 1990s, the Rose Bar, the lobby lair at Delano Miami Beach, exemplified the city’s once-ravenous predilection for the debauched and the flashy.  The illuminated quartz bar was always packed with Cosmo-sipping women in Manolos and the Hollywood set, including supermodels, actors, and A-List musicians like Lenny Kravitz, who designed the hotel’s nightclub, the Florida Room. Madonna was part-owner of the hotel’s Blue Door restaurant and celebrated her 37th birthday on th

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Where to Eat Caves Madeleine — A tasting menu built around local and seasonal ingredients paired with rare bottles. Ma Cuisine — Traditional yet refined Burgundian cuisine with an ambitious by-the-glass list and deep cellar. La Table du Square — Another fresh take on classic bistro fare with a relaxed dining room and easygoing service. Soul Kitchen — Tiny 12-seater gastrobistro with a comforting menu driven by local suppliers. Le Bacchus — Sleek dining room serving an exceptional bu

If the term “chief stew” means something to you, chances are you watch Bravo’s Below Deck—the upstairs/downstairs reality series that explores the wild realm of charter yachts.  In this world, the chief steward or stewardess is the head of interior (separate from exterior, or deck crew) and responsible for all aspects of hospitality. In addition to overseeing housekeeping, organizing shore excursions and onboard entertainment, and coordinating with the chef for meal services, one of the

Key Points With rising airfare costs making travel more expensive, wineries are opening off-site tasting rooms nearer to where consumers live. Urban tasting rooms tap into local foot traffic and help build customer relationships without requiring expensive long-distance travel. Satellite locations also educate guests, offer distinct urban experiences, and entice tourists to visit distant primary vineyards in the future. Your Instagram feed might be filled with photos of people in

Successfully meeting your significant other’s (S.O.) parents for the first time is all about balance. You should be talkative but not obnoxious, inquisitive but not interrogatory, complimentary but not insincere. Striking the perfect balance is difficult in any scenario, but it’s especially tricky with the added pressure of really, really wanting to win them over. Then, to top off the stress, you have to decide on a gift. Luckily, wine is always a good idea, but choosing a bottle invites a sl