A star-studded celebration of wine, friendship and song.
The crowd of seminar-goers inside the ballroom had come to taste wine. They had not counted on a performance by a musical legend. But not one of the guests at Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience objected when Sting walked out on stage, pulled up a stool and began plucking an arpeggio on his guitar.
“Just a castaway, an island lost at sea-o,” Sting sang out in a soul-stirring rendition of his hit “Message in a Bottle.” “Another lonely day, no one here but me-o.”
The 36th annual Wine Experience was packed with such surprises. And it was far from lonely. For three days in October, more than 5,000 guests— vintners, wine merchants, consumers, even the Tuscan winery owner who once played bass in the Police—came to the Times Square Marriott Marquis in the heart of New York City to celebrate their shared passion for wine. (Sting accompanied his wife, Trudie Styler, as she presented their Italian wine, the Il Palagio Toscana Sister Moon 2011.)
The weekend packed in two evenings of Grand Tastings, 15 seminars, several wine-paired meals and a black-tie Champagne reception and awards banquet featuring a performance by Huey Lewis and the News, all in 54 hours. More than 350 wines were poured from 24,264 bottles into more than 65,000 glasses.
It was an opportunity to taste the incredible quality and diversity of today’s wine world. It was also a chance to see old friends, make new ones and celebrate life. And it was a birthday party: Wine Spectator turned 40 this year. Many guests spoke of how the magazine has grown since 1976— and how America’s wine culture itself has flourished in these four decades.
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2016-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2016-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Shipwrecked Champagne Hoard Discovered Near Sweden
It sometimes feels like wine has a habit of falling into the briny deep. On July 23, Polish wreck diver and underwater photographer Tomasz Stachura announced that he and his Baltictech team had discovered the wreck of a 19th-century sailing ship near Öland, an island off the coast of Sweden—and it was crammed with bottles of Champagne and mineral water.
Openings: The Latest in Napa Tasting
Several new tasting options have opened in Napa Valley, particularly in downtown Napa where wineries are launching satellite tasting rooms. Standing out from the crowd means trying new approaches. Here are some highlights:
War in Middle East Affects Vintners
The 2024 harvest at Israel’s Dalton Winery was punctuated by nonstop rocket and drone attacks launched from just across the border in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon.
Wineries Sue Napa County in Federal Court
Three Napa wineries filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in September alleging that Napa County officials violated their constitutional rights.
Savoring Persimmon Season
For many, persimmons are an enigma ingredient. Chef David Nayfeld of Award of Excellence-winning Che Fico in San Francisco and its Best of Award of Excellence sibling dangling persimmons off the tree with a stick at a childhood friend's house before realizing what they were. \"I remember his parents saying, 'Hey, don't hit the persimmons, those are food!\"\"
Tasting Plate: A German Six-Pack
Though it boasts Western Europe’s largest population and biggest economy, Germany is nowhere near the cheese juggernaut its neighbors Switzerland and France are. That said, the Germans love their fine cheeses, and they do turn out some excellent ones, fortunately including more than a handful that are currently available here in the U.S.
Gigondas Blanc Est Arrivé!
Ask winemakers in the Southern Rhône to name the most exciting white grape in their region and you will hear a growing number of them say \"Clairette.\"
Kistler's DARKER SIDE
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ups the ante at the house that Chardonnay built
THE SPLENDOR OF CHAMPAGNE
THE REGION'S LEADING PRODUCERS DELIVER HIGH QUALITY AMID A DIVERSE RANGE OF STYLES
MICHAEL BATTERBERRY: 1932-2010 Gourmet, Journalist, Gentleman
Before Food Network, Top Chef or Yelp ... before the term “foodie\" ... before tomatoes were heirloom and sushi was fast food... back when fancy restaurants were always French... Michael Batterberry and his wife, Ariane, were working to celebrate and elevate the status of American chefs and international cuisine. Julie Mautner, Food Arts' former executive editor, looks at the life and legacy of her late mentor, affectionately known as The Bat.
