The Vintner Project

Research blocks give wineries a place to test new grape varieties, farming methods and other ideas on a smaller scale before making bigger bets across the vineyard. Larkmead Vineyards’ Research Block in Calistoga. | Photo Credit: Bob McClenahan These days, wine regions are very good at theorizing about the future. Warmer vintages. Increasingly erratic weather. Changing consumer behavior. New farming methods. Grape revivals.

The view from the top of the hill at Clos Madeleine, a new vineyard project from Yann Chave. | Photo Credit: Katie Melchior Lush, verdant hillsides, a breeze perfumed with acacia flowers, and organic vineyards interspersed with vibrant plots of fruit trees: the messy, chaotic beauty of the landscapes in the Northern Rhône caught me by surprise.

A THC seltzer, a cooler, and zero corks required. | Photo Credit: High Spirits Though still a small category compared with beer or wine, THC seltzers are one of the fastest-growing segments for the cannabis industry. According to Grand View Research, THC beverages are thriving, with cannabis beverage sales up 15% year over year in Q1 2025, and forecasts suggest the global market growth from $1.16 billion in 2023 to $3.86 billion by 2030. Is this a long-term shift or just the latest “buzz”?

Cabo Ortegal in Galicia. | Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Somewhere between almost faceplanting into a tower of empanadas on the bar and being greeted by the event host with a hearty “Hey, party people!”, complete with air-horn noises, I understood that the messaging from the Consejo Regulador of DO Rías Baixas at their recent Albariño roadshow in Boston was focused on fun. At first blush, it seemed reasonable enough to me.

A view of the Regenerative Organic Certified MAHA Estate. | Photo Credit: O’Neill Vintners and Distillers Of the 22 wineries worldwide that are Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC), 6 are based in Paso Robles: Tablas Creek Vineyard, Booker Vineyard, Halter Ranch Vineyard, MAHA Estate, Robert Hall Winery, and Le Cuvier Winery. Some were early adopters; others joined more recently.

Grower Champagne has its place in the wine world, but that shouldn’t come at the death of Big Champagne. | Photo Credit: Moët & Chandon For most of my wine career, grower Champagne – that is, wines made by producers who farm their own vineyards and bottle under their own labels, rather than blending broadly-sourced fruit in the grande marque model – has been the darling of the sparkling wine world. It’s what sommeliers pour when they want to display their certifications.

Sheep graze among the vines at Weingut Schönhals, where organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming practices reflect Germany’s evolving approach to wine. | Photo Credit: Weingut Schönhals Johannes Leitz in the Vineyard | Photo Credit: Weingut Leitz Germany has long been regarded as a guardian of wine tradition, defined by rigorous standards and historic styles.

Long overshadowed by Chardonnay and Cabernet, the Golden State’s zesty, sun-kissed Sauvignon Blancs are proving they deserve a place in your spring and summer rotation. | Adobe Stock Warmer weather is officially here. The days are longer, the sun shines brighter, and the air is filled with fragrant aromas of fresh rainfall and flowers in full bloom. In other words, it’s officially time to shelve those weighty Cabernets and dive into a perfectly chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Sicilian tourism is on the rise, growing by 30 percent in volume over the decade between 2015 and 2024 — aided and abetted, surely, by The White Lotus’s second season in 2022 — but skewed heavily toward coastal visits. Despite the undeniable draw of Sicily’s most salient feature, though, the majority of travelers to Sicily are kind of missing out.

McCollum Heritage 91 founders Elise (left) & CJ (right) McCollum believe that the best wine culture is the one that makes room for more people. | Photo Credit: McCollum Heritage 91 I love a wine story that starts with simple curiosity over blind ambition. CJ McCollum – for NBA basketball fans, yes, that CJ McCollum – and his wife, Elise, didn’t come to wine as industry lifers.