2024 was a year of transition for the wine world, with old-guard retirements, new buyers on the scene and big names changing hands. Market shifts saw previous owners buying back their namesake businesses, an average 25 percent drop in Bordeaux futures prices, and major retailers adapting their strategies to attract younger consumers.
The year also brought plenty of crime and courtroom drama, with thievery, bankruptcy, permit suits and money laundering capturing the wine-loving public’s attention. As 2025 approaches, bringing with it another year of exciting enological news, revisit Wine Spectator’s most-read stories of 2024 by clicking on each headline below!
[article-img-container][src=2024-12/ns-mike-and-kendall-officer-071624_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Carlisle)] [alt= Mike Officer and Kendall Officer in one of Carlisle’s Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma County, California.][end: article-img-container]1. Carlisle’s Officers Say Farewell to Zinfandel
Mike and Kendall Officer started the Carlisle brand making wine garagiste-style in their kitchen. Now, Carlisle is one of the biggest names in old-vine California Zinfandel. But after over three decades in the game, they decided to quit while they were ahead and announced their imminent retirement. While the goodbye is bittersweet, the wines are better than ever: Six of Carlisle’s wines scored a classic rating of 96 points in Wine Spectator’s most recent tasting report for California Zinfandel. Senior editor Tim Fish sat down with Mike Officer to discuss these excellent single-vineyard cuvées that may soon become prized collectibles with the brand’s discontinuation on the horizon.
Posted July 16, 2024
[article-img-container][src=2024-12/ns_james-macphail-pinot-082724_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of The Calling)] [alt= James MacPhail tastes Pinot Noir from the barrel during his work at The Calling winery.][end: article-img-container]2. Reclaiming Namesakes: Winemakers Buy Back Their Businesses
This year saw a notable trend that delighted winemakers and consumers alike. Multiple small producers who had previously made the decision to sell their eponymous brands to large companies bought back their namesake labels, as businesses like Hess Persson and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates reshuffled their portfolios. Two of these comebacks were winemaker James MacPhail of MacPhail Family Wines and James Hall of Patz & Hall.
For James MacPhail, it has been 13 years since MacPhail Family Wines, a brand he started as a boutique Pinot Noir house back in 2001, has been under his name. As for Hall, “it’s a dream come true” to be back as the owner and winemaker at Patz & Hall, one of the most recognized names in California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Posted August 22, 2024
[article-img-container][src=2024-12/ns_seasmoke-rock-050824_1600.jpg] [credit= (Courtesy of Constellation Brands)] [alt= Aerial view of Sea Smoke estate in the Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California.][end: article-img-container]3. Big Purchases in Pinot Noir
The wine world continued to see the growth of California Pinot Noir this year. Big companies made major purchases, particularly in Sonoma and Santa Barbara Counties, to shore up their pieces of the Pinot pie. Of particular note was Constellation Brands’ purchase of Sea Smoke, one of the Sta. Rita Hills’ most well-known producers of quality Pinot Noir. Another major sale was the purchase of a majority stake in Williams Selyem, only a month later, by Domaine Faiveley, one of Burgundy’s biggest…
Source : https://www.winespectator.com/articles/top-wine-news-stories-2024
