Virginia was home to John June Lewis (1894–1974), the first African American in the United States to make wine commercially. His story began at Woburn Plantation in Mecklenburg County, where he grew up in the Burwell household. Lewis’s father taught him about growing vines and making wine. During World War I, Lewis served in Europe.… Read More »
Rabasco is a natural wine estate in Pianella, in Italy’s Abruzzo region, run by Iole Rabasco. After working as a lawyer, she took over the family winery in the 2000s. Its 11 hectares are divided among four vineyards, with vines more than 40 years old that have never been farmed conventionally. The estate has farmed… Read More »
Born in Denmark and raised on his family’s estate in Provence, Morten Hallgren seemed destined to return to winemaking there after studying viticulture and oenology in Montpellier and completing a harvest at Cos d’Estournel. But when the family property was sold, he set out elsewhere, making wine in Texas Hill Country before moving to North… Read More »
Lasse Peder Nielsen, partner and general manager at Copenhagen’s two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Koan, has spent more than 15 years in hospitality. His career has included leadership roles at acclaimed Scandinavian restaurants, and at Koan he helps bring together Nordic precision and contemporary Asian cuisine. A first taste of great Champagne Nielsen’s interest in wine took off… Read More »
United Airlines is investing in its business-class wine programme as airlines compete to improve their food and drink offerings. Its latest project, Air and Vine, is a custom Sonoma County red blend created with Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars. The 2024 wine is scheduled to be served in Polaris business class in 2028. Katz settled… Read More »
Argentina and Chile’s wine scene is increasingly focused on expressing place and variety, moving beyond the once-dominant style of powerful, heavily oaked Malbec. A tasting of wines chosen by their makers offered a striking illustration of that diversity: among the twelve bottles, only one was Malbec. Matias Riccitelli Matias Riccitelli makes wines from Patagonia and… Read More »
Chêne Bleu winery sits in a ninth-century priory in the Dentelles de Montmirail, in southeast France. Its 30 hectares of vines are surrounded by forest within a UNESCO biosphere reserve, home to wildlife ranging from peregrine falcons and wild boar to around 1,400 species of butterflies and moths. Nicole and Xavier Rolet bought the estate… Read More »
Yew Tree is a five-hectare vineyard in South Oxfordshire, with vines planted in 2015 and 2020 on greensand soils. After selling its grapes to other producers for several years, the vineyard has released its own wines for the first time, from the 2025 vintage. They were made and bottled at contract winery Defined Wines and… Read More »
A dinner at Wiltons, hosted by Fine + Rare, brought together 25 wines from two celebrated Italian cooperatives: Cantina Terlano in Alto Adige and Produttori del Barbaresco in Piemonte. The tasting reached back to the 1960s, showcasing how well wines from both producers can age. Cantina Terlano Founded in 1893, Cantina Terlano brings together around… Read More »
Taste is often treated as fixed, but preferences can shift over a lifetime. A dog lover may become a cat person; a Bordeaux devotee might be won over by Burgundy. Reflecting on how his own palate has evolved, one wine drinker finds that some loyalties have endured while others have changed. Cru Beaujolais has remained… Read More »