A. Muscadelle
B. Chardonnay
C. Sauvignon Blanc
D. Sémillon
Water with Steak
Are Restaurants Shooting Themselves in the Foot? By Karen MacNeil September 25, 2026 A couple of months ago, I interviewed Eric Asimov, wine critic for The New York Times, and during the interview, Asimov spoke about the need for more good wine in American...
It is Time to Come Over
By Karen MacNeil September 18, 2026 In 2024, I dreamed up what would become the largest pro-wine grassroots campaign ever launched in the United States. It is called Come Over October. Now in its third year, Come Over October is designed around a simple but...
From Tannin to Velvet
The Wines of Napa Valley’s Cardinale By Karen MacNeil September 11, 2026 “I like sitting in cathedrals and feeling the atmosphere,” he says. “Then again, I also like being in a good bar.” Chris Carpenter is sitting across from me. Tall, tanned, and handsome,...
The Unknowable Place
By Karen MacNeil August 21, 2026 The Power of Place in Wine This is where all wine communication breaks down: at the place of place. Place, and its meaning within a wine, can never really be described. You can say that a wine tastes “of its place,” but that’s...
The Unknowable Place
By Karen MacNeil August 21, 2026 The Power of Place in Wine This is where all wine communication breaks down: at the place of place. Place, and its meaning within a wine, can never really be described. You can say that a wine tastes “of its place,” but that’s an...
The Perfect T Shirt + Michelin Personality Points + Burned Into Memory
By Karen MacNeil August 7, 2026 The Perfect T-Shirt of Wine Is Pinot Grigio supposed to taste like air with alcohol in it? Not to me, it isn’t. For as simple as Pinot Grigio can be, it should still have character. It should still have, well, personality. One...
Andy Beckstoffer—The Man No One Knows
How the Crown Jewels of Napa Became His Andy Beckstoffer is one of the most influential figures in Napa Valley—yet few wine drinkers know his name. In this feature, wine writer and speaker Karen MacNeil traces how the former Army lieutenant and marketing...
Andy Beckstoffer—The Man No One Knows
How the Crown Jewels of Napa Became His By Karen MacNeil July 31, 2026 There are men behind the Napa Valley wine industry that few wine consumers know. Men (and they are mostly men) with huge sway. Men whose mark on Napa has been and continues to be profound. Like...
