Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine is one of the most respected and quoted authorities in the world of wine and spirits. We feature the hottest trends in everything related to wine. Our seasoned editors do the work for you, with over 700 expert ratings and reviews in each issue. Plus, in-depth features on all aspects of cocktails, spirits, beer, inventive wine and food pairings, trendy recipes, savvy travel features, and more.

Masthead • VOLUME 37, NUMBER 4

Publisher's Letter • How I found out what doing the right thing tasted like.

Out & About

No Joke Nonvintage Wines • California producers are inspired by multiyear creations.

Seaweed in the Vineyard • Marine biology is making a splash in sustainability.

Cocktail of the Month: Basil Smash • Put those bundles of basil you got at the farmers market to good use.

Pairology: Cherry Bomb

Tuning the Vines • The biodynamic trailblazer has inspired countless others to rethink their relationships to vineyards and wine.

Regenerative Beer • Wheatland Spring Brewery in Virgina is making truly estate-grown beer.

Recipe of the Month: Haemul Buchupajeon • This Korean fried pancake is a perfect vehicle for early-summer bounty.

Hybrids: Catawba • This heritage grape is reclaiming its pre-Prohibition popularity.

AVA Dossier: Ohio River Valley • Ohio River Valley offers a multitude of wine styles.

White on Green Cocktail • Tennis and tenacity come together in one sporty drink.

Ganjier SAP Scale • Canna-curious? There’s a 100-point scale for that.

Tools of the Trade • Used to measure Brix, or sugar levels in grapes, the refractometer becomes a daily field essential as the growing season gets toward harvest, informing the decision of when to pick. A winemaker or harvest hand might pick berries off clusters systematically through rows of vines then crush the grapes in a bag, put a few drops of juice on the lense of the refractometer, close the cover to hold it up to the sunlight and peer through the eyepiece. The sugar level diplays on this very analog device in the viewfinder. This will be done every day or two until the grapes reach the desired Brix level—what constitutes “desired” is another story entirely.

Guy Fieri • The TV chef and co-owner of Santo Tequila on the drink experiences that stand out.

California

Viewpoint: Wake Up Wachau • Wachau, once the most renowned wine region in Austria, lies stagnant.

Vanguard Vineyardists • California viticulturists and winemakers are leading the way toward a more environmentally stable future for wine—one vine at a time.

Mendocino: Back to Back to the Land • Regeneration from generational farmers in California’s greenest AVA.

Mark Neal • A Napa grape grower’s innovative dual trellising sequesters carbon and produces twice the tonnage of high-quality grapes on the same parcels in two-tone organic vineyards.

The Man Who Invented Biodynamics • A century-old farming philosophy preaching to nurture not ignore nature might be more relevant today than ever. The teachings of Rudolf Steiner have spread throughout the world, but they resonate most strongly in his native Austria.

Mezcalifornia • In the face of a diminishing water supply, the state’s homegrown agave spirit has an opportunity to thrive.

Sotol—The Next Mezcal? • Spirits derived from an agave relative with a rich history could help satisfy a worldwide thirst.

Intro • JUNE/JULY 2024

The Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Chenin Blanc

Pinot Grigio

Other Whites

Sparkling Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon

Pinot Noir

Gamay

Grenache

Petit...