Tabla de contenidos para February 29, 2024 en Wine Spectator

“When it comes to winery sales, the economy is kind of like a thermometer,” says Rob McMillan, founder and SVP of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division (now part of First Citizens Bank). “When times are good, average companies can sell. When times aren’t good, nobody wants to buy those. So the things that are moving now are really good companies, and they seem to be selling to big companies.” The past decade has been a busy one when it comes to winery sales and mergers on the U.S. West Coast. But times are decidedly mixed for the U.S. wine industry right now, with sales down by volume and flat by value. The economy has avoided recession but is still settling after the disruptions caused by the pandemic and inflation. That’s…

Chocolate and asparagus have at least one thing in common: Both are absolute beasts to match with wine. The strong, persistent flavors that we love can render accompanying fine wines anything from parchingly abrasive to metallic. Despite that, both do have a fairly reliable companion. For asparagus, it is a similarly grassy Sauvignon Blanc. For chocolate, it is sweet, fruity, full-flavored Port. Adrian Bridge, CEO of Portugal’s Fladgate Partnership, built on this affinity when he opened the World of Wine in Porto in 2020. The vast complex of former Port lodges has interactive displays on virtually every aspect of wine, plus restaurants and bars, and the Chocolate Story, a sort of living museum explaining its history and production and their own Vinte Vinte line of chocolates. Bridge explains the marriage…

It may seem hard to imagine today, but a few decades ago, one could purchase a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for about $20. For Rhône value these days, most of us turn to Côtes-du-Rhône, the friendly Grenache-based red blends produced throughout a wide swath of sun-drenched southern France. However, between the two categories lies a handful of more under-the-radar crus that are worth seeking out. These lesser-known regions can deliver much greater complexity and concentration than a basic Côtes-du-Rhône, yet they sit far below the Châteauneuf stratosphere in terms of price. Crus are legally demarcated areas that have a historical track record for quality compared with surrounding vineyards. They stand out for their distinctive terroir signature, which is often identifiable in the glass. Although Châteauneuf is the Southern Rhône’s first and…

Wine professionals tend to love Riesling. Food-friendly, with racy acidity, these wines offer a rare combination of delicacy, purity and focus unmasked by oak. However, there’s a reason that Riesling remains one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated grapes by wine drinkers: The category can be bafflingly hard to discern. In its homeland of Germany, Riesling is made in a range of styles and sweetness levels. Wines’ labels feature a myriad of terms designed to help drinkers navigate them, yet in reality they often add to the struggle of understanding what to expect. Kabinett bottlings tend to veer in the off-dry direction, while trocken refers to dry offerings and halbtrocken means half-dry. Yet these categories, too, vary in actual sweetness levels. You may also see feinherb, an unregulated term that…

“Hard to grow, hard to make” has been the axiom on Pinot Noir for years. But California vintners have been altering that calculus. While moving at warp speed over the past two decades to improve their top-end bottlings by highlighting single vineyards, they have also raised the bar at the value end. Suddenly it’s become easy to find Pinots at reasonable prices that don’t skimp on quality. “Sure, Pinot can be hard to grow,” says Paul Hobbs, one of California’s most respected vintners. “But it’s become entirely doable on a large scale if you’re in a sweet spot. When it comes to areas such as Russian River Valley or the Sonoma Coast, it’s not that much more difficult to make Pinot Noir than any other red variety out there.” Hobbs’…

Seattle is known for its cloudy skies and abundant rainfall, but across the Cascade Mountains, in the high desert of eastern Washington, sunshine is bountiful. There lies the vast Columbia Valley, which spans a third of the state and encompasses all of its grapevines, except for a few hundred acres scattered around the Seattle area. Columbia Valley is an arid landscape, yet water from the Columbia River allows the region to be cultivated as fertile farmland. Winter wheat is the largest crop, but fruits, vegetables and wine grapes are significant players as well. Across the valley, it’s the soil that makes all the difference for wine-growing. Ice age floods and ancient river-beds deposited layers of rock, sand and silt over a well-drained basalt bedrock suited for wines of character and…

In a time when site-specific wines dominate the conversation, Argentina wants its voice to be heard. Argentine winemakers are confident in their ability to transmit terroir at comparable levels to other noteworthy regions, such as France’s Burgundy or Napa’s Oakville. Recent years have shown vintners the potential their terroirs hold for single-region or single-vineyard bottlings. “When I first arrived in the mid-1990s, most wineries owned quite a bit of their own vineyards, but they were also large purchasers of grapes,” explains Jeff Mausbach of Bodega Mil Suelos. He notes that grapes sourced from the estate vineyards typically went into their best wines but were not necessarily designated as such on the label. “Over the last 10 to 15 years, this has not only become the norm but an important part…

After 31 years running Burgundy powerhouse Maison Louis Jadot, Pierre-Henry Gagey is stepping down as president. At this year’s Wine Experience he reflected on the reasons for Burgundy’s success and gave inspiration for the future. Gagey joined Louis Jadot in 1985 and helped develop it into “one of the most important houses in Burgundy,” explained senior editor Bruce Sanderson, “one that not only buys grapes and wines, but also owns around 500 acres of vineyards.” “In Burgundy, time is our friend,” said Gagey. “You, in America, you like to run. We, in Burgundy, we like to walk—and walk slowly.” It took millennia to define Burgundy—to focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to find the right sites. To illustrate the transparency of Burgundy wines, he served the grand cru Corton Pougets…

“Can you say Walla Walla with me?” asked Cayuse founder Christo-pher Baron. “Walla Walla,” the audience yelled back, starting their education on this special West Coast wine region where Baron created the Cayuse label as they sipped one of his flagship bottlings. Baron described growing up in France as the oldest son of the current owner of the Champagne house Baron Albert, where his ancestors have worked since the late 1600s. Baron did not want to join the family business, but at age 15, he decided he still wanted to become a vigneron. His path toward Cayuse began while studying in Burgundy, where he gained a clear understanding of the concept of terroir. He became curious about the Pinot Noirs of Willamette Valley but, while trying to get an internship…

In the 1970s, Bages was a sleepy Bordeaux hamlet, and Château Lynch Bages badly needed renovations. Enter Jean-Michel Cazes. After a successful career at IBM, he returned to Pauillac and became a tireless advocate for the region while significantly improving the quality of wines at Lynch Bages, his family’s estate, and opening a traditionally insular region to international visitors. Jean-Michel was so committed to promoting tourism, remembered senior editor James Molesworth, that he would cheerfully give tastings to Americans who knocked on his door and surprised him in his bathrobe. “[He] was a remarkably kind and erudite human being,” said Molesworth to the Wine Experience audience, “one who clearly had a vision not just for his family business but for Bordeaux and the wine industry as a whole.” That vision…

Sarah Jessica Parker says that while she’s not a wine expert, she’s a dedicated student. An acclaimed actor and producer, Parker is turning heads in the wine world with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that has earned outstanding scores. At the Wine Experience, she talked about the endeavor. “I pick experiences [and projects] where I can learn, and that I can surround myself with people who are much smarter and experienced than me,” Parker said of her investment in New Zealand–based Invivo, co-founded by Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne. “If I can be 100% involved—for better or for worse—then I am much more inclined to say yes.” Parker works on several facets of the company with the duo, from blending to production, distribution and marketing. She didn’t want to just…

The continued success of California wine demands an investment in the future, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told the Wine Experience audience via video. (Newsom was scheduled to speak live at the event. He was forced to cancel, but sent a recorded message detailing California’s road ahead.) “There are a number of areas where we are clearly excelling, and areas we need to accelerate our investment. It’s the old adage: You don’t do well in the future if you don’t invest in the future. “Today, California accounts for 80% of all U.S. wine production, and its wine industry employs nearly half a million Californians. That generates $73 billion in annual economic activity,” Newsom said. “No state is investing more in wine education. California is the center of the innovation economy.” Newsom…

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 96 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Park Avenue 2021 $110 CALIFORNIA This stunning white offers a wonderful mix of fleshy grilled peach, mango and lemon curd flavors, with lush acidity and a whiff of minerality, followed by notes of green cardamom, toasted, salted hazelnut and crème brûlée on the long, juicy finish. Drink now through 2032. 1,947 cases made.—M.W. 96 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge The Upper Terrace 2021 $130 OREGON This seductive and compelling red is rich and full-bodied yet light on its feet. Dynamic raspberry and cherry flavors open to notes of rose petal and baking spices, with hints of forest floor, as this builds texture…

The winelands of South Africa’s Western Cape region were hit by the largest and most devastating storm in living memory at the end of September. Nearly 16 inches of rain fell in less than 48 hours in some areas, causing catastrophic damage as rivers burst their banks, roads were washed away and bridges were completely destroyed. One of the hardest-hit areas was the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, where the main road through the valley partially collapsed. Anthony Hamilton Russell of Hamilton Russell Vineyards described the storm as “unbelievable and totally unexpected.” Strong winds ripped up 100-year-old trees on his farm, smashing them into one of his wine stores. Richard Kershaw, founder of Kershaw Wines, in Elgin, noted that the storms came on the back of the longest and wettest winter in recent…

Great wines don’t have to cost a fortune. Even in world-class winegrowing regions such as Champagne, Chianti Classico or the Sonoma Coast, there are outstanding examples to be found at wallet-friendly prices. In fact, every corner of the wine world offers discoveries for bargain hunters, if you know where to look. That’s why, for the third year in a row, we’ve enlisted Wine Spectator’s team of editors to select the top values of the past 12 months. This process of selection homes in on producers whose wines express the distinctive character of a specific region or category while keeping prices down through innovative methods in the vineyard and cellar. This list of the Top 10 Values of 2023 is capped by our choice for Wine Value of the Year. All…

In southern Italy, sun worshippers go to the Amalfi Coast and history buffs to Pompeii. But a wine lover should head about 50 miles east of Naples, to the heart of Irpinia, for a trove of delicious red and white wines. With the sea to the west and a tightly packed chain of mountains running through the region, Irpinia can be lush and green even in summertime. The warm, sunny days and cool evenings are ideal conditions for wine production. Although area producers focus on a range of varieties, there are four primary grapes that stand out as hallmarks of the Campania region: red wines produced from Aglianico and white wines from Fiano, Greco or Falanghina. Aglianico is the hard-to-pronounce red variety that serves as the base for Campania’s rich,…

Port has long been Portugal’s claim to fame, but in recent years the country’s still table wines have generated buzz. Led by the Douro Valley, the country’s reds (as well as its whites) have been steadily rising in quality, largely out-pacing an accompanying rise in prices. Of the roughly 150 table wines I have reviewed from Portugal over the past year, only about a dozen are priced at $100 or more, while an overwhelming two-thirds are available for $40 or less. Many of these bottlings are appealing, accessible versions that hit the sweet spot for value, making them perfect go-to wines for weeknights. At the higher end, some examples show an additional level of complexity and depth. The best place to begin your exploration is the Douro, one of the…

Rhône-style reds thrive throughout California, from Napa and Sonoma to Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. These wines encompass an eclectic array of grapes that can yield styles ranging from rich and jammy to elegant and precise, allowing winemakers to paint with strokes both broad and detailed. In France’s Rhône Valley, from which these wines take their inspiration, there are dozens of approved red grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. While Rhône vintners typically combine multiple grapes to make a regional red such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, California producers tend to bottle these grapes—particularly Syrah and Grenache—as stand-alone varietals, although blends are increasingly popular with consumers. The lead grape in California is Syrah, which is generally full-bodied, featuring blackberry and other dark fruit notes, often backed by hints of pepper,…

Pinot Noir might be king in Oregon, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in the 1960s, the University of California, Davis, determined that Oregon was too cold and soggy to grow Vitis vinifera, the traditional grape varieties of Europe such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. That didn’t turn out to be true. But in the 1960s and much of the 1970s, whites such as Riesling had a stronger foothold in Oregon compared with Pinot Noir, since Riesling is more at home in cool, damp climates than most reds and even a few whites. As Pinot Noir ascended to be the red wine of choice in the late 1980s, Oregon winemakers looked for a white wine to be its couterpart. Yet the two most prominent options, Riesling and Chardonnay, each…

While many regions around the world do one or two wines well, Chile has built a reputation for doing many wines from numerous areas very well, thanks to its diverse geographic makeup. “There is ample room for exploring new places and experimenting with new grape varieties,” says Viña Montes chief winemaker Aurelio Montes Jr. “On the other hand, we haven’t stopped working our more renowned regions. We’ve delved deeply into what we already have, and I can confidently state that now we know our terroirs and their potential with more precision.” Adding to Chile’s precise knowledge of its terroirs is the country’s penchant for creating outstanding and distinctive wines at affordable prices. “When we discuss Chile, we emphasize two distinctive qualities—diversity and exceptional value,” says Montes Jr. “Exploring Chilean wines…

As each calendar year ends, Wine Spectator’s senior editors select the 100 wines that impressed them most, based on an equation of quality, value, availability and back story. At the New York Wine Experience, Wine Spectator and the Top 10 winners celebrate by pouring the wines for the event’s savvy and appreciative audience. The Top 10 of 2022, served at the 2023 event, recognized three leading Napa Valley winemakers, three Tuscan estates and fine producers from Bordeaux, the Rhône, Champagne and Washington. The seminars began with Champagne’s prestigious cuvée Cristal, from Louis Roederer. “Champagne, the best wine to start the day,” said owner Frédéric Rouzaud, presenting 2022’s No. 10 wine, from the 2014 vintage. The weather that year was difficult, partly due to summer rain and cold. Chef de cave…

“Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation in southern France, and there is no name more synonymous with the region than Château de Beaucastel,” said senior editor Kristen Bieler as she introduced Beaucastel’s Marc Perrin for a vertical tasting from this pioneering Southern Rhône estate. The Perrin family has long represented Châteauneuf on the world stage. In this most recent of Marc’s appearances at the Wine Experience, he shared his 2019 Châteauneufdu-Pape (wine No. 7 among Wine Spectator’s Top 10 wines of 2022), along with three earlier classic-scoring vintages: 2009, 2006 and 1998. The Perrins’ visionary leadership was one of the themes of the tasting, stretching from Marc’s grandfather, who was years ahead of his time in converting to organic and then biodynamic farming, to the current generation’s ambitious project: build…

Tony Soter came to Napa Valley in 1975 with a philosophy degree and was, in his own words, “unqualified for any serious job.” But as senior editor Tim Fish observed, Soter “[helped lay] the groundwork for modern Napa Valley Cabernet,” working with Shafer, Dalla Valle, Spottswoode and others. Soter also had his own label, Etude, which helped put Carneros Pinot Noir on the map. Soter sold Etude in 2001, and in 2006, moved to his native Oregon. There, he planted Pinot Noir on the 250-acre Mineral Springs Ranch. With his late wife, Michelle—who “inspired so much of what we do today in Oregon”—he also created a biodynamic farm with ducks, chickens, pigs and more. Soter presented his Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District Mineral Springs Ranch 2012. Poured from magnum, it was…

Adrian Bridge, CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, which owns Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft Port houses, is no stranger to the Wine Experience. This year, he shared Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2003 with the crowd. He recalled that 2003 brought heavy rain followed by an August heatwave. “And as a result, we get this rather stylish wine with plums, spices, hints of violets—a trademark of a great Taylor Fladgate vintage,” Bridge said. He explained that Taylor Fladgate is a legacy operation, and that much about it remains traditional, including its terraced old vineyards and grape stomping at harvest. While many winemakers lead multidimensional lives, Bridge’s is particularly intriguing, including a banking career, competing on the U.K. bobsled team, and attempts at climbing Mount Everest. He also spearheaded the Porto Protocol,…

“Despite the slow learning curve, we have seen Pinot Noir really progress,” said Ferren winemaker Matt Courtney at the outset of the seminar on Pinots from California’s Sonoma Coast. “We’re making the wines that much more complex and much more deep, even at more moderate Brix levels. Across the board, the quality of Pinot is going up and up.” Carlo Mondavi, who farms 20 acres on the Sonoma Coast, poured his Raen Royal St. Robert Cuvée 2021; one specific block of his Bodega Vineyard in Freestone Occidental makes up the backbone of the wine, with additional grapes sourced from other select parcels from Bodega and from Sea Field Vineyard in Fort Ross–Seaview. Mondavi said Bob Cabral, then of Williams Selyem, “led us to Fort Ross–Seaview. It was a long journey…

Duckhorn Wine Company is making a big move in Chardonnay, buying California winery Sonoma-Cutrer from spirits giant Brown-Forman for $400 million in a combination of stock and cash. The deal gives Brown-Forman a 21.5% stake in Duckhorn. Sonoma-Cutrer is known for Chardonnay ranging from $20 to $50 per bottle. The company owns six estate vineyards spanning 1,121 acres in both the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Duckhorn executives said in an announcement that the move improves its position as “a leading luxury wine company in the U.S., while rounding out its portfolio by significantly elevating the company’s position within Chardonnay.” Sonoma-Cutrer had sales of $84 million in the 12 months through July. According to Impact Databank, a sister publication of Wine Spectator, Sonoma-Cutrer sold 543,000 cases last year,…

White wine lovers have plenty of options from California. Not only has the state entered a Golden Age for Chardonnay, with the best examples demonstrating the modern style of balancing ripeness with freshness, but its Sauvignon Blancs are also more expressive than ever—and their growing popularity is keeping pace. Yet beyond these familiar categories lies another group of whites that are less known but equally delicious. You can consider them “alternative” or “aromatic” white wines, but whatever name the category goes by, this varied group encompasses everything from Pinot Gris to Chenin Blanc, with plenty of others in between. In addition to Spanish varieties such as Albariño, there are Italy-inspired wines made from Vermentino, Fiano and Falanghina, along with a host of other aromatic grapes, including Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Because…

The beautiful beaches of Italy’s Marche region, located roughly midway down the country’s eastern seaboard, remain largely undiscovered by American tourists. But if you’re not ready to book your next vacation, you can experience a taste of the Marche by trying the area’s wines, including bottlings from its primary white variety, Verdicchio. The Marche has two DOC-designated areas for Verdicchio production: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica, based around the towns of Jesi and Matelica, respectively. Verdicchio di Matelica’s vineyard acreage—and corresponding production—is a fraction of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi’s, making the former bottlings harder to come by in the U.S., yet producers in both appellations are making delicious examples to seek out. The wines share a bright frame of lemony acidity, along with flavors of…

Sparkling wines from regions around the globe are finding success with wine lovers who enjoy adding effer-vescence to occasions both small and large. While Spanish sparklers have long been recognized for their fair prices, many producers have also upped their game in terms of quality, securing these wines a firm footh-old as global demand for bubbly rises. Although many bottles of Spanish sparkling wine can be found for as little as $10 to $12, the sweet spot is really between $20 and $30. This price range gives consumers access to versions with additional aging, labeled as reserva or gran reserva, as well as higher-end introductory bottlings. Most wine drinkers are familiar with Cava, a Denominación de Origen officially established in 1972 but produced in Spain as early as the 1870s.…

Recommending that wine lovers seek out Chardonnay is a bit of a no-brainer, given that Chardonnay is America’s favorite white wine. But the strategy of looking for the best, most affordable bottlings from high-end producers takes a little more planning. When seeking out value wines, you should skip the single-vineyard options and look instead at a winery’s regional blend. Site-specific wines are fascinating for how they show the transparency of place that Chardonnay achieves so successfully, yet a wider appellation blend is more likely to showcase a house style, as well as consistency from vintage to vintage, while offering more bang for your buck. One terrific example is MacRostie’s Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2021, whose grapes come from several prime vineyards in Sonoma, including Sangiacomo, Ricci, Dutton and Martinelli. Winemaker Heidi…

New Zealand is one of the best sources for values in the world. Where else can you find consistently outstanding wines that demonstrate the terroir of their signature variety—in this case, Sauvignon Blanc—for less than $25? It’s even more impressive that the wine industry is relatively new, with the first Sauvignon Blanc vines planted in Marlborough in 1975. Today, the country produces less than 2% of the global supply, yet the wines have changed the way consumers around the world consider zingy white wines. Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand are typically bright and effusive, with crisp acidity that complements their citrus and fresh herbal notes, balanced on a light and refreshing body. What makes New Zealand so special is no secret. The small nation receives a particularly high level of…

The 2021 growing season in Portugal’s Douro Valley was the coolest and wettest year for Vintage Port producers in more than half a decade, since the 2014 and 2015 harvests. Although the profile of the 2021 Ports mirrors these earlier vintages, with charming, lighter-bodied wines that accentuate more floral characteristics, in terms of quality they fall midway between the two: a few steps ahead of their 2014 counterparts and a few steps behind the 2015s. As in both 2014 and 2015, many Port houses chose not to declare in 2021, resulting in a small group of releases that are primarily single-quinta bottlings. Yet despite the lack of a general declaration, the 2021s are a solid set of Ports, with all 11 of the wines reviewed in my blind tastings rating…

For the first seminar of the 2023 New York Wine Experience, some 900 wine lovers gathered to sample some of the greatest bubbly on earth—complex and terroir driven rosé Champagnes. “Today we’re going to explore the upper echelon of rosé Champagne with three of the most highly rated examples I’ve reviewed in the past two years,” senior editor Alison Napjus (wearing a jacket adorned with rosé Champagne bottles) told the crowd. “These are serious wines to serve on the table with food, to cellar or have at your next party or celebration.” Over the past several years, the style has surged in popularity, moving from 2.9 million bottles shipped to the U.S. 10 years ago to 5.9 million bottles in 2022. The first of three wines, the red-fruited, mouthwatering Taittinger…

Vintner Gérard Bertrand has over three decades raised the reputation and quality of Languedoc wines. Bertrand has amassed an empire of 17 wine estates, totaling 2,200 acres of vineyards, all farmed biodynamically. His wines, which include the under-$20 Cote des Roses bottlings, are top-sellers, and in a bold move he introduced a Languedoc rosé priced around $200. He’s also the winemaker behind the wildly successful Hampton Water rosé. Bertrand explained that his grandmother planted the first family plot of vines in 1920. His father followed a vision for quality wine, but in the 1960s and ’70s, Languedoc did not have a reputation for fine wine. Later, the younger Bertrand discovered bio-dynamics, coming to understand that “biodynamics is like homeopathic medicine for the plant.” Clos du Temple—the source of the high-end…

What do you get when you combine four culinary stars, four delicious plates, eight fantastic wines, 900 opinionated wine lovers and one Wine Spectator editor? The New York Wine Experience Chefs’ Challenge, of course! The premise is simple: Each chef prepares a dish, for which another chef and senior editor Bruce Sanderson have each picked a wine match. After tasting the dish with the wines, the crowd votes on which pairing they think is best. In the ring this year were returning veterans José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen and owner of José Andrés Group restaurants; Emeril Lagasse, television star and owner of Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Emeril’s and Delmonico Steakhouse; Eric Ripert, chef and partner of Grand Award winner Le Bernardin in New York; and Danny Meyer,…

While introducing the eagerly anticipated seminar on Masseto, senior editor Bruce Sanderson called the wine “undeniably Italy’s greatest Merlot.” What followed demonstrated why collectors fill their cellars with the super Tuscan—if they can get their hands on it. Sanderson asked Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Italian wine company Marchesi Frescobaldi, how his family acquired the Masseto estate. The vintner chuckled: “It was an expensive day … we had to eat onions and bread for many years … [but] it’s a joy to have.” Frescobaldi remarked that “Tuscans have in mind [only] Sangiovese—all the rest is second best.” But the lower-elevation Bolgheri subregion is better suited to Bordeaux grapes, and early ripening Merlot does especially well in the blue clay soils of the Masseto vineyard. In 1987, the first Masseto bottling was…

“I’m not going talk about wine. I’ll let the wine speak for itself,” said Frank Family Vineyards founder Rich Frank as he began his Wine Experience presentation. The vintner and former film and television executive captivated the audience with Tinseltown stories, including one in which he convinced execs to change the name of a movie from $3,000 to Pretty Woman. And he joked that despite rubbing elbows with movie stars and presidents, it took him 80 years and his winery to be called a star himself. His career included being president of Chris Craft Television, president of Paramount Television Group and eventually president at Walt Disney Studios. In 1990, Frank began looking for a weekend property in Napa Valley. “The house I bought had 107 acres in [Rutherford],” he said.…

BY THE NUMBERS The Jan. 31 – Feb. 29 Buying Guide features 34 classic wines and nearly 375 outstanding wines from among reviews of more than 500 new releases. Members can access tasting notes and scores for those wines, along with hundreds of additional wines reviewed since our last issue, using the Wine Ratings search at WineSpectator.com.…