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Dear Subscriber,
I love great Sauvignon Blanc almost any time of the year, but given the wine’s freshness, it seems especially enticing in Spring. And especially enticing now, when the quality of Sauvignon Blanc (around the entire world) is so high. My Blog this week is on my picks for the top dozen California “Super Sauvignons,” wines that have the stature of the best white Bordeaux. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find a juicy Cabernet that’s a steal (it’s our Wine to Know), plus my Wine Clip Video interview with Nicole Marchesi, winemaker of Napa Valley’s Far Niente winery. If you love bread (my hand is up) you’ll want to take the Food Quiz, and the Fascinating Fact is all about an emoji we didn’t know we needed (but do).
—Cheers, Karen
Dear Subscriber,
I love great Sauvignon Blanc almost any time of the year, but given the wine’s freshness, it seems especially enticing in Spring. And especially enticing now, when the quality of Sauvignon Blanc (around the entire world) is so high. My Blog this week is on my picks for the top dozen California “Super Sauvignons,” wines that have the stature of the best white Bordeaux. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find a juicy Cabernet that’s a steal (it’s our Wine to Know), plus my Wine Clip Video interview with Nicole Marchesi, winemaker of Napa Valley’s Far Niente winery. If you love bread (my hand is up) you’ll want to take the Food Quiz, and the Fascinating Fact is all about an emoji we didn’t know we needed (but do).
—Cheers, Karen
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PIERRE PETERS
“Cuvée de Réserve” Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru non-vintage Brut Champagne
Champagne, France
It’s my weakness, Champagne. I am budget conscious with just about everything else, but when it comes to Champagne, I am helpless. And this—this grower Champagne—is The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
100 points Karen MacNeil / WineSpeed
“Cuvée de Réserve” Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru non-vintage Brut Champagne Champagne, France It’s my weakness, Champagne. I am budget conscious with just about everything else, but when it comes to Champagne, I am helpless. And this—this grower Champagne—is The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in. 100 points Karen MacNeil / WineSpeed
PIERRE PETERS
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A. Italy
B. Spain
C. France
D. United States
A. Italy B. Spain C. France D. United States
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The Return of a Revolutionary Wine
By Karen MacNeil Insignia Rising From a tiny seed of an idea, a whole new garden can flourish. And so it was that in 1974 Joseph Phelps created Insignia, Napa Valley’s first premier proprietary red blend, a wine that henceforth would be known—by its name alone—as an...
The Return of a Revolutionary Wine
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“No Safe Amount of Alcohol”? Not So Fast.
For those of us who love wine, recent health headlines feel like a cultural disconnect, not to mention a worrisome attack. Some organizations maintain there is no safe amount of alcohol; at the same time, some studies point to potential health benefits. To help untangle this confusing narrative, Madeline Puckette, the brilliant mind behind Wine Folly, is taking a closer look at the actual data. Puckette’s video is a must-watch because the reality of wine and health is infinitely more nuanced than a scary headline can capture. Take a look.
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1
Percentage of cheese sold in the US that is vegan cheese, according to The Economist. While other vegan foods like Beyond Meat and dairy-free ice cream sell fairly well The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
240
Approximate amount (in billions of US$) that Gen X (46 to 61-year-olds) spent globally in 2025 according to NIQ Solutions. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
25
Percentage higher in price tomatoes are today than a year ago, according to The Economist. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
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In the United States, most of the wine that’s imported is Italian. In 2025 some 93.2 million gallons of Italian wine were imported into this country. In fact, Italian wine has led US imports for decades, hitting a peak in 2021 with 43% of all US table wine imports. Is it because Italian wine is just so good? I love lots of Italian wine, but I’m sure “goodness” has nothing to do with it. What does? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
Why So Much Italian Wine?
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Celebrate International Sommelier Day
Next Wednesday (June 3), we are celebrating International Sommelier Day, a holiday established by a group of passionate sommeliers in Mexico. The day commemorates the founding of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, established on this date in France in 1969 and honors professionals for their expertise in tasting, pairing, and guest service. Show appreciation for your favorite Somm with a 1-year gift subscription to WineSpeed.
* Wines recommended in WineSpeed are based on the editorial tastings and decisions of Karen MacNeil & Company and are not sponsored by the wineries. The price reported is often an average price found online at the time of publication.
All content in WineSpeed is written by Karen MacNeil and her team. No content is generated by AI.
Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase within a certain time frame, I may earn a small commission which is paid by the retailer, at no cost to you.
If you would like to talk with us about partnerships or an Exceptional Events listing in WineSpeed, please contact us here.
About Karen
Karen MacNeil—author of The Wine Bible, named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the Wine Industry, recipient of nearly every major wine award, and considered one of America’s foremost wine teachers—conducts private wine tasting seminars for individuals, groups, and businesses around the world. Among her clients: Audemars Piguet, General Electric, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, University of Notre Dame, and several international law firms. Karen is one of America’s leading wine presenters and gives keynote speeches at industry and consumer conferences worldwide. Karen MacNeil & Company creates one-of-a-kind wine experiences for clients at exclusive wineries in the Napa Valley and other wine regions. Contact Karen here.