Here's a complete archive of our 2020 Top 100 Sessions, bringing together some of the top winemakers from around the world in virtual conversations.
SUBSCRIBER VIEWING
Explosively Good
Wines from Volcanic Terroir
Explosively Good
Wines from Volcanic Terroir
Volcanic wines have been a hot topic in recent years, propelled by the popularity of savory reds from Sicily’s Mount Etna and intense, saline whites from the Greek island of Santorini. W&S Regional Wine Editor Stephanie Johnson and three winemakers will take a look at some of the challenging growing conditions... Read more
Wine and Cheese
Basics of Pairing
Wine and Cheese
Basics of Pairing
It’s not rocket science, but pairing the right wine with cheese can be trickier—and more satisfying—than you might think. W&S Executive Editor Tara Q. Thomas believes a little knowledge of the mechanics of pairing wine and cheese will go far in finding great matches. Join winemakers at four of Wine & Spiri... Read more
Two Sides of Santa Barbara
Two Sides of Santa Barbara
The hills and valleys of the Central Coast play an outsized role in defining its syrah by funneling ocean winds to the vines. Depending on where they grow in relation to the ocean, the wines can be dramatically different. W&S Associate Editor Jared Hooper tastes with two of the top winegrowers—Chad Melville in... Read more
The La La of Walla Walla
The La La of Walla Walla
Though Walla Walla’s reputation for great syrah has been rooted in the Rocks of Milton Freewater, a cobble-strewn site, Les Collines Vineyard, on the other side of the valley, may well be one of the best sites for syrah in the United States. W&S Washington Wine Editor Patrick J. Comiskey will explore two impor... Read more
Tempranillo Titans
Spain’s Flagship Grape from Two Terroirs
Tempranillo Titans
Spain’s Flagship Grape from Two Terroirs
Spain’s Flagship Grape from Two Terroirs Whether it’s called tempranillo in Rioja or tinto fino in Ribera del Duero, it is the leading red wine variety in Spain. W&S Editor Joshua Greene talks with the winegrowers at two legendary estates—R. López de Heredia’s Maria José López de Heredia in Rioja and... Read more
Shades of Nebbiolo
Shades of Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo thrives in northwestern Italy and reaches its highest expressions in the province of Piedmont. Italian Wine Editor Stephanie Johnson has gathered three beautiful expressions of nebbiolo from some of its most talented producers: two from Barolo, one from across the Tanaro River in Roero. Join us to taste how n... Read more
Research & Discovery
Identifying New World Grand Crus
Research & Discovery
Identifying New World Grand Crus
In Burgundy, transparency is the goal: that the vine delivers a clear message of the site in its fruit, graceful and complex, especially for grand cru sites in the Côte d’Or. Without the same centuries of experience, that kind of transparency (and the sites that might deliver it) are rare in the New World. Jason Dre... Read more
Pinot Noir Cool
Mountains and Coast
Pinot Noir Cool
Mountains and Coast
Mt. Harlan and the Sta. Rita Hills could not be more different at first glance, but they produce some of the best Central Coast pinot noirs. W&S California Wine Editor Patrick J. Comiskey will explore the distinctive terroir imprints of these two regions with winemakers Mike Waller of Calera and Sashi Moorman of... Read more
Cabernet Smackdown!
Red Mountain v. Walla Walla
Cabernet Smackdown!
Red Mountain v. Walla Walla
Among Washington State’s most lauded wine regions, Red Mountain crafts powerful, intense reds. Walla Walla can deliver on power as well, though the àMaurice estate wine hails from the Mill Creek hills, one of the region’s coolest sites for cabernet. W&S California Wine Editor Patrick J. Comiskey tastes with... Read more
Champagne Rich
Champagne Rich
The wines of Krug and Bollinger are legendary. Though their styles are different, they share a depth and resonance that makes the experience of drinking them both rich and subtle. Maggie Henriquez, the president of Champagne Krug, and Cyril Delarue, the great grand-nephew of Lily Bollinger, will join W&S Editor ... Read more
Next-Level Rosé
Next-Level Rosé
In the world of wine, rosé has it easy: If it’s pink and pretty, it’s already on its way to being well accepted. So, how do you get beyond rosé for rosé’s sake to something more compelling? This evening, W&S Executive Editor Tara Q. Thomas will talk with two winemakers who make exceptional rosé on a re... Read more
Should Beaune have Grand Crus?
Should Beaune have Grand Crus?
When we taste some of the extraordinary wines from the top premier crus in Beaune, they match many grand-cru wines for complexity and distinct expression. Noted sommelier Michael Madrigale presents three standouts, convening their winemakers to consider what factors raise these wines to stand among Burgundy’s best: R... Read more
Radical Grenache
Getting to the Root of What Makes Grenache Great
Radical Grenache
Getting to the Root of What Makes Grenache Great
Grenache, one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, brings us stunning versions from around the globe. Join W&S Associate Editor Jared Hooper and winemakers Chester Osborn of McLaren Vale, South Australia, Louis Barruol of Gigondas, in France’s Rhône Valley, and Jason Haas of Tablas Creek in Paso Ro... Read more
Rocks & Gravel
Terroir Texture in Napa Valley Cabernet
Rocks & Gravel
Terroir Texture in Napa Valley Cabernet
Renée Ary makes cabernet from Duckhorn’s Three Palms Vineyard, a rock-strewn, mid-valley site in Calistoga, at the north end of the Napa Valley. Marcus Notaro crafts cabernets from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ two vineyards under the Stags Leap escarpment at the southern end of the valley. Sommelier Michael Madriga... Read more
Perspectives on Diamond Mountain
Perspectives on Diamond Mountain
Diamond Mountain is a sweet spot for cabernet sauvignon in the Napa Valley, where a cut in the Mayacamas Mountains lets cool air in from the Pacific. Diamond Creek’s Al Brounstein established a cabernet legend on Diamond Mountain in the 1960s, furthered by Rudy von Strasser, who farmed next door for years. Meet Graha... Read more
Das Beste
Leaders in German Riesling
Das Beste
Leaders in German Riesling
Riesling is one of the world’s greatest grapes, capable of producing a vast variety of wines, from bone-dry to dessert-sweet, expressing itself with a combination of clarity and power unmatched by any other variety. W&S Executive Editor Tara Q. Thomas and four of Germany’s top riesling growers will discuss w... Read more
Chardonnay's Terroir Transparency
Chardonnay's Terroir Transparency
For years, winemakers around the world set out to copy the style of chardonnay from the Côte d’Or—which misses the point, that white Burgundy is not primarily about style, but about wines that transparently express their vineyard site. Recently, we’ve found an increasing number of chardonnays, made by talented a... Read more
Reinvention
Europeans Find their Voice in the Americas
Reinvention
Europeans Find their Voice in the Americas
While you’re unlikely to find malbec, tannat or durif on wine labels in France, the birthplace of these varieties, you’ll find some exceptional examples grown farther afield. Malbec these days is nearly synonymous with Argentina; tannat makes Uruguay’s most compelling wines, and durif produces some of the longest... Read more
Ancient Sweets
Ancient Sweets
Madeira and Rutherglen may be on opposite sides of the planet, but when you taste the history in these wines, you might be surprised by how much they share in their intensity, complexity and length. In fact, sweetness may be the last thing you think about. W&S Regional Wine Editor Susannah Smith talks with Chris... Read more
Francly Speaking
Francly Speaking
Cabernet franc may be more particular about where it grows than cabernet sauvignon, just one of its offspring in Bordeaux. But when planted in the right place, franc can make beautifully complex and elegant wines. Stephanie Johnson has three to prove it, from Bolgheri on Tuscany’s coast, where Cinzia Merli farms fran... Read more
Serine, Syrah, Shiraz
What's in a Name?
Serine, Syrah, Shiraz
What's in a Name?
From the ancient version of syrah grown in St-Joseph to biodynamically farmed vines in the hills of Minervois and classic shiraz from South Australia, the spice of syrah may come under several different names. The best of the wines showcase elegance, with structures for long aging. Three of the world’s most talented ... Read more
20 Years a Charm
20 Years a Charm
Whether Tawny Port or Moscatel de Setúbal, either of these two classical fortified wines from Portugal reaches its apex at 20 years of age, balanced between the freshness of youthful fruit and the complexity that comes with long maturation in cask. W&S Editor Joshua Greene considers the growing and blending dec... Read more
Riesling on the Loose in America
Riesling on the Loose in America
North America is riesling country with a proliferation of distinct styles up, down and across both coasts. W&S Regional Wine Editor Patrick J. Comiskey brings together two specialists in American riesling, John House of Ovum Wines in Oregon, and Fred Merwarth of Hermann J. Wiemer, in the Finger Lakes, to explore... Read more
Next-Gen Pinot in Willamette
Planting for the Future
