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.

Wine Enthusiast • VOLUME 33, NUMBER 3

EDITORS' LETTER: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD • Our Wine & Culture issue celebrates creativity in and beyond the glass.

WINEMAG.COM: NOT JUST ANOTHER TASTING ROOM • Our Wine & Culture issue is about showing how wine has worked its way out of dusty cellars and into every corner of life. Gone are the days when trying great wine required a trip to an expensive restaurant or plane tickets to wine country. Here are just a handful of ways a new generation is taking wine out of the tasting room and giving you a reason to raise a glass, wherever you are.

SIPS AND SNAPS AROUND THE GLOBE

FROM STAGE TO AGAVE • This issue explores all the ways pop culture intersects with what we drink. First up: a look at how and why launching a Tequila brand has suddenly become such a hit side hustle among Hollywood’s hitmakers.

GRAPE ON THE GO: TEMPRANILLO TAKES OVER • This iconic Spanish variety proves it can succeed farther afield.

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH: IT’S TIME FOR WINE • No need to wait to try this vinous cocktail.

PAIROLOGY: COMBINATION LOX • Whether on a bagel with cream cheese, blended into a creamy spread of its own, served with scrambled eggs, tossed into a salad or just piled on a snack platter in generous ribbons, lox always brings intense flavor to the table. Traditional lox is salmon belly that’s been salt-cured, but not smoked, while Nova smoked salmon (sometimes called “Nova lox”) is salmon that’s cold-smoked after it’s cured. Gravlax, meanwhile, is a cured, unsmoked, Scandinavian variant seasoned with dill. Whatever style you prefer—and all are essentially interchangeable—there are several directions to choose from when it comes to wine.

BARREL VS. BARREL • Meant to endow flavor and complexity to the liquid within, wine barrels and whiskey barrels serve essentially the same function. Yet, coopers employ markedly different techniques when constructing them. Read on for three dramatic variations.

DESTINATION: AUCKLAND • Food, culture and scenery are icing on the cake for this fantastic New Zealand wine city.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: GREEN AND LIGHT • Spring into summer with seasonal lettuces and zingy dressing.

PUNCH UP YOUR SPRING • Fragrant blossoms and early strawberries spell springtime like nothing else. Before the days of air shipping, the arrival of those items heralded longer light and the end of winter, which, naturally, called for parties. More often than not, a punch was a fitting and fizzing centerpiece. That’s why we turned to vintage cookbooks to help you capture the feeling at home. Here’s to retro springtime magic.

BOOK BUDDIES • You may know and love our contributing editors for their Wine Enthusiast content, but their expertise extends well beyond our pages. Read on to discover a sample of recent books they’ve worked on and written.

WITH A GRAIN OF SALT • The future of cocktails is savory.

VIEWPOINT: CAN ZIN GET ITS GROOVE BACK? • Believe it or not, this historic grape variety is on the path back to popularity.

WINE & CULTURE • Stars of page, screen, stereo and runway share their vinous passions and pursuits.

THE CINDERELLA GRAPE • Long the quietest member of the Champagne blend, Pinot Meunier is charming, character-filled and finally coming into its own.

RAISING RIBBON RIDGE • This tiny gem within...