AMERICAN WINE LEGEND Tom Klein isn’t the sort of guy to brag about his accomplishments. He likes to get his boots dirty. Raised in his family’s agricultural business, Klein harvested produce, drove trucks and did whatever else was needed before headi

What defines an excellent spirit? The obvious answer: It drinks well and tastes great. It also makes for a comforting neat pour or elevates a drink when mixed. But there’s more. Winnowed down from hundreds of bottles reviewed over the past 12 months,

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Capone ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon PRODUCTION MANAGER Jordon Kaplan PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena GRAPHIC DESIGNER Brooke Barber CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FOOD Nils Bernstein COPY EDITOR Melissa Johnson F

SPIRITS BRAND OF THE YEAR Meletti, a name that resonates with quality, history and artisanal craftsmanship, is the embodiment of Italian tradition in the world of spirits. With over 150 years of dedication to the art of distillation, Meletti is one o

93 Kiona 2021 Estate Bottled Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain). These nearly 50-year-old vines are producing grapes guilty of providing a hedonistic delight. This plush-textured Cabernet Sauvignon leads with savory barbecued pork rib aromas

WINE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Jen Locke has come a long way from her first job bussing tables at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle at age 16 and did not take anything like a traditional path to becoming CEO of Crimson Wine Group (CWG)—a publicly traded company

95 Château La Nerthe 2022 Clos de Beauvenir (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). This wine is intense with salted almonds and stone followed by hints of pear and citrus pith. On the palate, it is layered with white peach, pear, lemongrass, salt and acacia honey. T

98 Cantina Terlano 2021 Terlaner I Grande Cuvée (Alto Adige). Crafted with the same attention to detail as a Ferrari or a Gucci bag, this wine is sublime. It opens with aromas of warmed magnolia, peach pie, lemon candy and mountain herbs. The palate

NEW WORLD WINERY OF THE YEAR Innovation and a challenging spirit are Ventisquero Wine Estates’ core values. This relatively young winery was founded in 1999, following the planting of the first vineyards by owner Gonzalo Vial on the coastal edge of t

AMERICAN WINE REGION OF THE YEAR In very few places can you find the level of quality coupled with the accessibility that you’ll discover here. In even fewer can you sip wine against the backdrop of a redwood forest while simultaneously breathing in

94 Brick & Mortar 2018 Manchester Ridge Vineyard Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay (Men-docino Ridge). This wine is rich, with aromas of baked pear, apple, melon, baking spices, white flowers and brioche on the nose. The flavors on the palate are green appl

Don’t overlook blended whiskeys. Freed from the restrictions of “single malts” (meaning the whiskey comes from a single distillery) and single vintage years, blended whiskeys show-case dynamic flavors and a wide range of creative approaches. Blended

WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR Eric Aafedt was just a teenager when he started moving irrigation lines and driving tractors for wineries in California’s Livermore Valley. After three decades of making wine for Bogle Family Vineyards, where he led the building

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD When Sandro Boscaini, president of celebrated Italian wine giant Masi Agricola SpA, was very young, wine wasn’t something he remembers being “prized” per se. It was everywhere, on every table, in every house and an integral

PERSON OF THE YEAR When he was just 10 years old, Jean-Charles Boisset visited coastal California from his native Burgundy with his grandparents and toured the Spanish Missions from Monterey to Sonoma. The history he learned about then must have left

95 Big Table Farm 2022 Eola-Amity Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). Best Big Table Chardonnay I’ve ever had: It’s to be expected when you use fruit from Bieze and X Omni vineyards. Its elegant texture and weight are matched by blazing acidity and restra

99 Philipponnat 2015 Clos des Goisses Extra Brut (Champagne). This iconic single-vineyard Champagne comes from a steep slope facing south over the Marne river. This new release, still young but full of magnificent potential, is rich with a floral aro