Wine News: What I’m Reading This Week — November 8, 2026

Hello and welcome to this week’s roundup of wine stories worth a closer look. Here are some of the articles catching my attention:

• Biodynamics: from belief to evidence — An interview with a young agronomist at Lafite.
• Kiwi-ing It Real — A look at a winemaker working in both hemispheres.
• Red Wine Regions Are Making More Room for White — And wine drinkers seem pleased.
• The “Simple Farmer” Who Made Napa Cabernet Country — Dottie and John explore the Beckstoffer story.
• Traditional labels? Suck My Duck — A run-in with France’s labeling rules.
• These 6 American Grapes Were Banned in France — Now They Could Help Protect Vineyards — France is reconsidering varieties once banned.
• Costa Rica Now Has Its Own Wine Grape After a 50-Year Quest — A new grape variety could give the country a homegrown wine to offer visitors.
• Does how a wine is made matter more than how it tastes? — Why treat the two as mutually exclusive?
• Michelin is coming to Napa to review wineries — Its ratings may generate more gossip than anything else.
• Greece’s island wines are making waves — A look at the appeal of wines from the Greek islands.
• Why the Great Greek Wines tasting was a real show stopper — Notes from the tasting that inspired a Jancis Robinson column.
• Fine wine market ‘healthier but not a slam dunk’ — The market may be improving, but it is too soon to celebrate.
• Napa County weighing some winery regulation changes — A possible first step toward changes in local rules.
• Napa Valley Has Too Much Unsold Wine. Now a Longstanding Rule Could Disappear — A look at proposed regulatory changes amid the wine surplus.
• Even Napa Won’t See Quick End to Glut — Why a rapid recovery from unsold inventory is unlikely.
• Lawsuit: Acclaimed California winery might be sold off to pay $17.5 million debt — A major debt dispute could have serious consequences for the winery.
• Wine and spirits could get cheaper after the midterms. Here’s why — Lower prices may depend on removing tariffs.
• What does the Democrats’ midterms sweep mean for alcohol? — Another look at how the election could affect alcohol policy and tariffs.

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!