The SOMM Journal

Home
The SOMM Journal

The SOMM Journal is the hospitality industry's go-to resource for the best new releases, most influential faces, and most exciting regions.

Subscriptions are free to members of the trade: [email protected]

07/10/2025

Our October issue’s cover story takes a look at some of the sparkling wines from the García Carríon portfolio making an impact on U.S. wine lists and retail shelves. Stay tuned for more exciting stories in this issue!

30/09/2025

Second-generation proprietor Caroline Stewart Guthrie and her husband, winemaker Blair Guthrie, have a gem on their hands: Cellars. They met while working for the producer’s original winemaker, Paul Hobbs. Assistant winemaker Brian Hurley recently met with me at their Yountville tasting room and explained Stewart Cellars’ philosophy: “Our enological decisions are guided by both international styles and the deep-rooted history of our region. While wine is inherently tied to tradition and styles may evolve over time, we remain committed to crafting wines that express their origin—
enhanced with our own thoughtful, understated signature. At the heart of it all,
the quality of farming sets the limit, which is why we dedicate so much focus to meticulous viticulture.” The word “craft” surely applies to these lovely wines: Light on their feet, with a heavenly aura, they possess an elevated freshness ideal for a somm-oriented palate. Find tasting notes and scores from in our digital edition at sommjournal.com.

29/09/2025

is one of the original iconic number of wineries from the 1970s, dating back to 1973,” says winemaker Lisa Evich. “It was founded by two brothers and their brother-in-law and named after Jean, who was wife, sister, and sister-in-law to these three partners. Apparently, she was the only one saintly enough to keep the three of them in line.” The château itself—a stunning, 3,550-square-foot, European-inspired structure in the town of Kenwood—is listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2000, it debuted a sprawling visitor center and gardens. In 2021, it was purchased by Foley Family Wines & Spirits, which has since made significant investments in the vineyards
and in rebuilding the winery, which had been shuttered for a few years prior to the acquisition. Now, 100% of Chateau St. Jean’s wines are produced on-site using state-of-the-art luxury winemaking techniques. Today the property reflects its winemaking style—an homage to the grandeur of the Old World infused with a modern winemaking philosophy. Sonoma County is home to 19 AVAs, “and each one of those is distinct in terms of its characteristics and not only the
grape varieties that you can grow but the
different styles of grape variety,” says Evich,
a Sonoma native who has worked 25
harvests in the county. “I really think that
you can say this is one of the most diverse
winegrowing regions in the world.” Swipe to read more.

24/09/2025

In our September issue, writes, “Chicago Native Luke Anable has traveled the U.S.—and the world—enough to gather knowledge about the wine business from the on-premise sector to importing and distribution. An avid music fan and record collector, Anable compares the search for artists with unique sounds to the discovery of terroir-driven small-production wines. “The two share a fascinating parallel,” he pointed out during our recent meeting. “Both experiences involve exploration, appreciation, and a personal connection of culture and genres. I have a commitment to these unique, hard-to-find producers and I have a commitment to all who we represent; I am proud to call them ‘nerdy wines.’” Anable, 40, worked in New York and was mentored by some of the greats in this industry, including importer Neal Rosenthal, whom, among other importers, he represents through the Arizona distribution business he founded in 2017,
The Natural Wine Company. Eight people strong, his team finds that the growing somm population in the state is supportive of his array of wines, which offer haunting melodies and foot-tapping rhythm.” Swipe to read her tasting notes for two wines in the portfolio.

23/09/2025

As the General Manager and buyer for the Las Vegas location of California-based company Wally’s Wine & Spirits, John Peiser wears a lot of hats, from working with distributors to overseeing wine service at the retailer’s onsite restaurant. It’s a demanding job, but the longtime Neon City resident is more than
up to the task, having honed his skills as a sommelier at José Andrés’ Jaleo and as a beverage manager, assistant general
manager, and general manager at Nobu.
We asked him for details on his day-to-day experiences - swipe to read more about how he runs one of Vegas’ most dynamic wine accounts.

17/09/2025

SOMM Journal East Coast editor Wanda
Mann led the “Let’s Get Franc: The Other
Great Cabernet” seminar at the 2025 .official, and recaps this year’s event in our September issue. Swipe to read more from about what makes this one of the industry’s marquee events of the year.

15/09/2025

In our September issue, we caught up with San Diego sommelier Tracy Latimer, lead sommelier at , who categorizes wines by flavor profile and emotional experience. Whites are listed under headings such as “Light, Crisp, Sea Spray, Mineral” or “Full, Floral, Orchard, Oak,” while reds are grouped under “Red Fruits, Game, Leather, Earth” or “Cherry, Forest, Potpourri.” “I want guests to connect to how the wine makes them feel,” she explains. “That’s far
more meaningful than memorizing grape
varieties or appellations.” Swipe to read more.

📸

09/09/2025

Lanzarote, often called the Island of 1000 Volcanoes, is a place like no other. The remote Spanish territory, which is almost ten times closer to Morocco in North Africa than to mainland Spain, is one of the seven main Canary Islands that, along with the Azores and Madeira, belong to Macaronesia. It is the most southern wine region until you reach South Africa, and the vines here have acclimated to the tropical heat and the winds blowing off the Sahara. Most of these vines are over 100 years old, and many date back to the 19th century. They struggle against the constant, salt-laden trade winds; negligible rainfall; and vast, barren lava fields covering nearly one-third of the island, in whose pure volcanic soils they grow. Here, each cluster is an act of resilience. All these challenges make Lanzarote wine unique—a spectacular and enchanting expression of place. Lanzarote’s lunar-looking landscape and unique method of grape-growing date back to the 1730s, when the island experienced some of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history, lasting for six years and permanently reshaping its terrain. These eruptions deposited a layer of volcanic gravel-like ash or lapilli (locally known as rofe) across the island, which allows moisture (mostly from dew) to drain into the subsoils and prevents evaporation; without it, farming would not be possible. Vines are planted by digging 3-meter-wide and several-meter-deep pits (hoyos) where the nutrient-rich soil is found beneath the layer of inert volcanic rock. Semicircular walls (zocos) are built around the northeastern side of each vine as protection from the strong winds. Swipe to read more.

08/09/2025

Move over, Pinot, there’s a new grape making waves in the Willamette Valley. In our September issue, Dave McIntyre writes, “Chardonnay is hardly new to Oregon. It was among the varieties planted by the state’s wine pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s, though it long played second fiddle to Pinot Noir. The introduction of Dijon clones in the 1980s gave it a temporary boost in prestige, but it still struggled to emerge from Pinot’s shadow.
French influence has helped raise its profile. The Drouhin family of Maison Joseph Drouhin founded Domaine Drouhin Oregon in the Dundee Hills in 1987. Dominique Lafon partnered in Lingua Franca, established by Master Sommelier Larry Stone. Jean-Nicolas Méo joined Nicolas-Jay, and Maison Louis Jadot arrived in 2013 to establish Résonance,
which recently launched a Chardonnay program.” Swipe to read more about the producers making Chardonnay big in Oregon.

05/09/2025

For decades Malbec has served as Argentina’s calling card in the world of wine; the bold, generous grape variety put the Mendoza region on the global viticultural map. But Argentina today is not the same winegrowing country it was in the 1990s; in short, there’s more to it than Malbec alone. At the heart of this evolution stands , a winery that has not only grown with the times but helped shape them.
Doña Paula was born from the vision of Chilean businessman Ricardo Claro in the early 1990s, before Argentina was appreciated fully for its fine wines. Investing in high-altitude land in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley—now two of Mendoza’s most prized subregions—Claro laid the groundwork for what would become a benchmark estate in the region. From the beginning, the ethos was clear: Quality is non-negotiable. Swipe to read more.

03/09/2025

Wherever you’re traveling in the world, The SOMM Journal brings the wine world with you! Show us where you’re reading the SOMM Journal!

Thanks to for the 📸

02/09/2025

In our September issue, we featured , whose has brought together leading bar trade and nonalcoholic brands for a series of educational events. She says of the category, “The quality of
products has really risen, we still have a
long way to go. The challenge is in analog products sparking a comparison. There’s a lot of science to be developed to get there. What’s doing best right now in terms of quality are the amaro and aperitif categories. There are some who don’t want an analog non-alc product for whatever reason, and then there are people who don’t want an esoteric non-alc,” she adds. “There’s room for everything; people are excited to have options.” Read more in our digital edition at www.sommjournal.com.

Address

Website

http://www.sommjournal.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The SOMM Journal posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The SOMM Journal:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Country:

City: