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“Proofing bottles by smell alone is a common industry practice, though wine professionals are divided on the issue. Its purpose is to check for flaws: “Is this wine correct?” rather than, “Do I like this wine?” But can a wine be judged by nose alone?” In the Drop, Leyden Pavlova explores why tasting is just as important—if not more than—smelling a wine when assessing it.

Margaret Rand reports on the 2021 Bordeaux vintage in Wine-Searcher. “At the top end, there will be some very good wines, in spite of the difficulties of the year. Nobody’s talking about a superb vintage; nobody’s saying that this is a year you simply have to have in your cellar. What they’re saying is that people will buy.”

Decanter talks with Lingua Franca founder Larry Stone about the sale of his winery to Constellation Brands, and the role that Covid and wildfires played in the decision.

In Club Oenologique, Adam Lechmere says there’s a Rhône white wine revolution underway.

Betsy Andrews considers whether or not multi-vintage wines can help offset the unsustainable aspects of vintage-driven production in VinePair.

Is bourbon barrel-aged wine a passing fad or here to stay? Sarah Phillips McCartan takes a look at the numbers in Meininger’s.

In Wine Enthusiast, Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen on the important role of sugar in wine.