Nearly five years after the San Francisco Chronicle added a second wine reporter, the team is welcoming another: Lucy Hodgman. Her predecessor, Esther Mobley, left in March to return to Boston, where she is now food editor at the Boston Globe. Hodgman has already begun covering the region’s wine industry….

When I turned 30, I wanted to mark the occasion with a memorable trip. I’d recently become interested in champagne, and Napa Valley seemed like the obvious choice. Its vineyards, tastings, food, and sunny scenery made for a wonderful getaway. My husband and I rented a small house surrounded by…

Wine prices can reflect more than taste. Land costs, labor, scarcity, a region’s reputation, and a producer’s prestige all help determine what a bottle costs. That means an expensive wine isn’t automatically better—and a bottle under $20 can still be delicious and memorable. Wine experts suggest a few ways to…

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival returns Oct. 15–18 for its 19th year, with more than 50 events celebrating the city’s food scene. Programming will include tastings, cooking demonstrations, rooftop gatherings and special chef collaborations. Tickets remain for some events at nycwff.org. The four-day festival will…

A good bottle of red wine doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In 2026, spending around $20 to $25 is a sensible target for finding a bottle with noticeable quality without paying a premium for rarity or famous regions. Wines in the roughly $15–$25 “premium” range are more likely to…

In Japan, people who want to learn about wine often attend schools or academies, where they study regions, grape varieties, soils, winemaking methods, and vintages. That knowledge matters. But the first lesson I received from wine lovers in Spain and Portugal was simpler: “First, drink. And cherish what you feel.”…