Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Our outlook on the next year is dramatically different than it has been on those past. Nearly every aspect of the beverage universe is having a watershed moment. We have new generations moving into the limelight, new environmental challenges at our d

“We’re just friends hanging out. We pour wine into plastic cups because that’s what we’d do if it were just the three of us chilling and opening a few bottles,” says Adam Jimenez, co-owner of Los Naturales in Chicago. He’s talking about the authentic

In 2020, the wine industry was forced to reckon with the underrepresentation and mistreatment of marginalized groups in the trade. After nearly two years, have any significant changes been made? “We’re at the very primary version of this change, wher

Ratafia is a sweet alcoholic drink that takes different forms and flavors depending on where it’s made. The name, however, has a similar origin story everywhere. “It comes from the Latin phrase rata fiat, which means ‘the deal has been made,’” says D

Bold in fruit and spiced with Mediterranean garrigue, the sun-drenched wines of the Côtes du Rhône are the crowd-pleasing little black dress of the wine world. While most associated with the big, juicy reds of the Southern Rhône, the Côtes du Rhône i

Hearty kale emerged as a widespread trend in the 1990s, but unlike sun-dried tomatoes and bacon on everything, kale is here to stay. Whether sturdy, curly kale, flat-leafed Russian kale or deeply hued cavolo nero—a k a lacinato kale—this member of th

Ever pour a glass of wine, smell it and think, “That stinks!”? If so, here’s what might be happening—and a way to fix it. Under a variety of circumstances, wines can become what is referred to as “reductive.” This is a term for a broad range of aroma

The Michigan Wine Collaborative partnered with 4-H youth clubs and an urban winery and farm in Detroit to introduce grape-growing to children. For those who may not be able to travel to rural sites, Pingree Farms and Detroit Vineyards provide hands-o

In the foothills of San Simeon, on California’s Central Coast and just a few miles east of the Pacific Ocean, Rajat Parr is driving a tractor through vineyard rows, spraying a homemade concoction of milk thistle, willow branch and stinging nettles th

In her first cookbook, Vallery Lomas weaves her life stories through 100 recipes that reflect time spent in Paris and New York, as well as Louisiana, where she grew up. This cornbread is deeply corny and only slightly sweet. The hot butter-slicked ca

If you’ve ever enjoyed a Gimlet, it may have been sweetened with lime cordial, a sugar syrup infused with citrus peels and juice. Bartenders have long known that cordials can enliven and sweeten a wide range of drinks. The secret: the essential oils

With the Rhine River on one side, Vosges mountain range on the other and about 10,000 miles of marked trails in between, Alsace beckons you to go out and explore. Many winemakers here feel a keen sense of connection with nature, evidenced through org

For a young winemaker, taking over a historical property can be terrifying, transformative or both, depending on a lot of variables. Some older wineries might need to be blown up and rebuilt again to regain their glory; others may just need a steady

Few grapes elicit as strong a love-it-or-hate-it response as Pinotage. With established advocates in each camp, from producers and retailers to wine writers, judges and consumers, it’s easy to overlook any middle ground and head toward an extreme to

In 2019, a group of senior tech executives gathered at the NoMad Los Angeles hotel for a four-course dinner. A Master of Wine blind-poured a pairing with each dish. Guests used the time between bites and sips to network. At the end of the repast, pat

Bordeaux is in crisis. It’s a slow, simmering crisis, but a crisis nevertheless. Climate change is altering the region and can’t be ignored. Its ocean climate mitigated the warming and kept things stable for a while. But since 2010, the pace has quic

Knowing the best time to pop open that bottle of wine might be a shot in the dark for some. To aid in your vinous adventures, check our latest vintage chart to get an idea of the best window to enjoy your latest finds (or cellared treasures). Our exp

Māori people have lived in New Zealand—or Aotearoa, as it’s known in the te reo language—for nearly 1,000 years, long before the nation was colonized by the British in the early 19th century. The history of the Māori people’s relationship with their

The Environmental Protection Agency began recording temperature across the U.S. in 1901. The year 2016 was the warmest, followed by 2020. This past decade was the warmest 10-year span on record. Vintage write-ups have been filled with notes of extrem

Can your next cocktail help support the environment? Possibly. A growing number of spirits are made with sustainable efforts in mind. However, “sustainability” remains a nebulous term. Spirits aren’t regulated the same way as food or agriculture, eve

As wine lovers, we’re aware of our effect on the planet and how farming choices interplay with climate crisis. Parsing out the impact of what we eat, though, can be daunting. But what if there were a near-perfect food? Imagine a plant that replenishe

94 Kanonkop 2017 Black Label Estate Pinotage (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch). Opaque garnet in the glass, this dense, intense and concentrated pour offers assertive aromas of graphite, blackberry, black raspberry, licorice, fennel and tobacco leaf on the n

When a dear friend served a chilled and tasty sparkling wine with a summer lunch, I could never have anticipated it would lead to a house full of drunken fruit flies. I commented on how delightful the bubbly was—perfectly balanced between sweetness a