Wine Enthusiast Magazine August/September 2021

Jacqueline Strum PUBLISHER Susan Kostrzewa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julia Lea EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Layla Schlack SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Daniels TASTING ASSISTANT TASTING DIRECTOR Fiona Adams TASTING COORDINATORS Craig Chamberlain, William Johnson DIGITAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Emily Saladino SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Dylan Garret DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR J’nai Gaither SOCIAL SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marco Bruno DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas VISUALS PRODUCER Jesse Reiter ASSOCIATE PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena CONTRIBUTING EDITORS EUROPEAN EDITOR Roger Voss ITALIAN EDITOR Kerin O’Keefe WINE Virginie Boone, Mike DeSimone, Jim Gordon, Paul Gregutt, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Jeff Jenssen, Matt Kettmann, Christina Pickard, Michael Schachner, Sean P. Sullivan SPIRITS…

Travel to any city, wine region or remote village in Italy and you’ll more than likely see a wine tumbler filled with something delicious from any number of the country’s diverse vineyards in the hands or on the tables of locals and visitors alike. Though it’s home to some of the most prized cellars and grape varieties of the wine world, and offers vinous experiences from the most casual to world class, the country continues to celebrate passion over pomp. It remains an emblem of wine appreciation for every day, and everyone. This embedded enjoyment dates back millennia, and like many of Italy’s artistic endeavors, it has brilliantly stood the test of time. At Wine Enthusiast, we salute this approach to wine appreciation, reflected in our new company mission…

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) into law. It allowed employees to unionize and negotiate competitive wages and working conditions. Agricultural workers, however, were not included. The treatment of agricultural workers in the United States is “deep in the shadows of slavery,” says Elizabeth Strater, director of strategic campaigns for the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), the country’s largest union for agricultural workers. A precursor to the UFW, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) was created in 1962 by labor activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The NFWA advocated for workers in California’s most lucrative agricultural industry: grape growing. After years of boycotts and community organization, the NFWA secured the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA), which guaranteed the rights of farm…

MOLTO POLLO Between 1880 and the dawn of World War I in 1914, millions emigrated from Italy to the U.S. and forever changed the country in myriad ways—not least its wine and food. Chicken cacciatore, piccata and saltimbocca are just three examples of the many Italian dishes that have since become an enduring part of the American culinary canon. While several variations exist, read on to discover the essential components of each alongside intel to help you match them expertly with wine. CHICKEN CACCIATORE WHAT IT IS: Today, cacciatore is taken to mean a wide variety of preparations. James Beard, an American chef and cookbook author, once said, “practically everything but a henna rinse has been given the chicken which goes by this name.” Technically speaking, however, cacciatore translates…

A TASTE OF HISTORY Calvados is an apple brandy with Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status. It can only be produced in Normandy, much like Cognac is a specific brandy that can only be distilled from white wine made within a particular region from certain grapes. Calvados isn’t distilled from wine grapes, however. It begins as cider. While a small percentage of perry pears is permitted, the base cider is made primarily from apples. These must be grown in Normandy, where more than 200 varieties are cultivated. Producers can use four types of apples: sweet, bittersweet, bitter and bittersharp. The fruit is pressed and fermented, then distilled into an eau de vie and aged at least two years in oak. The first written records of apple eau-de-vie and apple brandy date…

“There’s nothing petite about Petite Sirah,” is the common refrain for this robust red grape with a one-two punch of hard tannins and searing acidity. A hybrid of Peloursin and Syrah developed by French botanist François Durif in the 1800s, it never caught on much in the Old World. But in California, the thick-skinned variety was embraced by the 19th-century winemakers of the state’s emergent wine industry. Today, Petite Sirah’s 12,000 or so California acres make it the state’s sixth most-planted red variety. While used commonly to add impact and structure to blends or turned into uberripe, teeth-staining varietal wines, producers are now exploring its nuances and showcase more than the inky richness for which it’s known. This is especially true throughout the Central Coast, where a range of…