#winemaking

#winemaking

In 1900, brothers and tire manufacturers Edouard and Andre Michelin published the first Michelin Guide, a compendium of maps, restaurants, gas stations, and tire-repair shops for French motorists. After launching the guide in Europe, the brothers noticed the restaurant section's popularity, prompting them to recruit undercover reviewers. In 1926, the Michelin Star was born, now a three-star rating system based (in sum) on ingredient quality, cooking technique, the chef's personality, flavor harmony and consistency.

Maggie Harrison is the head of winemaking at Antica Terra in Oregon's Willamette Valley, where she has garnered a reputation as one of the most celebrated practitioners of the craft. With a group of artists-Julie Mehretu, Paul Pfeiffer, and Jessica Rankin-she recently unveiled a limited-edition box set of wines blended as part of a collaborative process that also included the creation of individual artworks packaged along with the bottles, in a self-described "Museum in a Box."

In the tasting room of a Bordeaux winery, a photo on the wall shows a pastoral tableau: three generations of the Dubois family, sipping wine on the patio of their Les Bertrands château, with their Australian shepherd, Namek, perched at their feet. Out the window, chestnut trees sway in the breeze, with sunlit vines stretching for acres beyond. It's this mesmerizing serenity that draws millions of tourists to southwest France every year

In the heart of Napa Valley-America's most celebrated wine region-stands Opus One, a winery that embodies the meeting of two worlds. Born from a collaboration between two legendary winemakers-Robert Mondavi, a pioneer of California wine, and Baron Phillippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild Bordeaux-Opus One represents the pinnacle of transatlantic winemaking. Here, Old World tradition and New World innovation merge to create world-class wines.

'I'd been offered a winemaking job at Buena Vista Winery and thought, why would anybody want to live in California?' he said. The earth looked dead. I just couldn't do it.

A few obvious things stand out with lemon wine: It's not made from grapes, doesn't rely on the intricacies of terroir, and there's no need for giant oak barrels. It's therefore simple to make and readily available, with far less fuss and frenzy.

"It's a great change of pace; it's bubbly, cold, and less acidic. It's a perfectly refreshing palate cleanser," explains winemaker Sherman Thacher of Thacher Winery in Paso Robles on California's Central Coast.

The 2020 vintage was on track to be the perfect year for the 874 wineries of Oregon's Willamette Valley until late summer, when the valley choked on smoke from record-breaking wildfires.

"As I reflect on my career, it’s a unique intersection of aviation, business strategy, and navigating high-profile personalities like Donald Trump and Michael O'Leary."