Nearly two decades have passed since the first Charleston Wine + Food festival kicked off in South Carolina in 2005. Nineteen years and hundreds of popped bottles later, the 2024 iteration of the annual celebration,  like the wine and spirits served to attendees every year, has only improved with age. The 2024 gathering will take place next spring from March 6 to 10, building on what made the 2023 fête the place to enjoy high-quality Lowcountry fare and introducing new and additional ways for guests to have their wine and sip it, too. What Makes Charleston Wine + Food a Coveted Culinary ..read more

A study published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications Chemistry revealed that a new algorithm was able to correctly identify which chateau red Bordeaux wines were from with 100 percent accuracy by analyzing their chemical profiles. This research has implications for both determining the quality of a wine as well as its authenticity, with a potential application for detecting wine fraud. The study was conducted by Alexandre Pouget at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, where he and his colleagues used machine learning to analyze the chemical composition of 80 red wines, from vin ..read more

As integral as the cocktail is to contemporary culture, it’s surprising to learn that its exact origins are still subject to much debate. Many archivists point to an 1806 news column out of Hudson, N.Y., explicitly defining the term as a “a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.” But long before the wording was coined, the concept of a mixed drink was widely embraced in British punch houses throughout the 18th century. Scholars may never form a consensus on where the cocktail was invented. There is little debate, however, as to where it was perfected. T ..read more

In case you haven’t heard, tequila is hot right now — so hot that it’s on track to overtake vodka in on-premise popularity. So, if you have an agave lover in your life, there’s never been a better time to surprise them with a bottle that will knock their socks off. Still, with the ever-growing hoard of celebrity launches, old-school brands, and newcomers on shelves today, narrowing down the best bottle to gift can be tough. That’s why we picked out the seven best choices for gift-giving. From budget-friendly picks to splurges for those special to you, this is the ultimate list for the best te ..read more

Pata and David Airaudi loved drinking sparkling wines, but didn’t feel connected to the brands available on the market. So in 2012, the California-based married couple set out to craft their own bubbly, incorporating classic Champagne traditions with their West Coast philosophy. The result was Sapere, a sparkling wine that’s distinctly Californian. Pata has always loved surfing and spending time in the Golden State sun, and it’s evident that she applies her passion and respect for the land into making Sapere wines. The brand’s website greets you with the duo’s ethos: “To make wine is to make ..read more

This episode of “The VinePair Podcast” is sponsored by The Prisoner Wine Company. You’ll find everything you need to cross off your gifting list at The Prisoner Wine Company’s website. From stocking stuffers to gift sets, bar tools, and show stoppers, give the gift of premium California wine this holiday season. Head to theprisonerwinecompany.com to shop now, and order by Dec. 14 to receive in time for the holidays. Since 2020, there has been a palpable shift in how service plays into the overall dining-out experience. It’s tough to pin down exactly what is going on, but as the VinePair Podca ..read more

Commitment and innovation are two words that immediately spring to mind when it comes to Louisville, Ky.’s Rabbit Hole Distillery. With a relentless commitment to crafting original expressions of whiskey, founder Kaveh Zamanian’s determination to challenge the status quo and offer a new vision of what authentic premium American whiskey can be has yielded a company with over a decade under its belt — with no signs of slowing down. From a steadfast commitment to reducing its carbon footprint to partnering with well-respected cooperages and small-batch grain suppliers, Rabbit Hole honors the pas ..read more

When you check into the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, there’s no ignoring the fact that you’re on the alleged site of the Piña Colada’s creation. Just off to the side of the outdoor check-in desk, a large wall display salutes the hotel’s former bartender, Ramón “Monchito” Marrero, and tells the story of him supposedly creating the Piña Colada in 1954 on the very site. Nearby, in the lobby’s hotel bar, known as the Caribar, a bartender tells me he blends up “more Piña Coladas than I can count,” though he eventually admits the figure to be in the hundreds every day. In addition to tha ..read more

It’s always been hard to nail down the exact definition of American cuisine. Barbecue, burgers, and hot dogs spring to mind, but just like the nation itself, its food is a melting pot of regional flavors and international dishes beloved by the people who live here. That’s one reason we’d argue that fast-food chains offer the purest culinary expression of the Americana spirit. There’s no shortage of burger joints, all with their own little spin to make their patties stand out from the crowd. Although there’s a high concentration of farm-to-table, ethically sourced options along the West Coast ..read more

This episode of “The VinePair Podcast” is sponsored by The Prisoner Wine Company. Raise a toast this holiday season with a glass of wine that errs on the rebellious side. Always intriguing, online exclusives from The Prisoner Wine Company like SALDO’s Zinfandel Three Ways are sure to delight the wine lovers in your life. Head to theprisonerwinecompany.com to shop now, and order by Dec. 14 to receive in time for the holidays. As global warming becomes a more imminent threat to the wine world, Champagne producers — specifically Bollinger — are looking to shift production to still wines made fro ..read more