Luxury automaker Aston Martin and famed French Champagne house Bollinger have forged a prestigious global partnership, the two brands announced. The upscale union brings together two icons of the luxury market known for their enduring heritage, impeccable craftsmanship, and pursuit of excellence–as well as joining James Bond’s preferred automobile and the superspy’s favorite Champagne under one experiential umbrella.

Champagne Bollinger was named the Official Champagne Partner of Aston Martin, which in turn becomes Bollinger’s Official Automotive Partner. “This partnership is a natural alignment of two iconic brands,” said Charles-Armand de Belenet, Managing Director of Champagne Bollinger. “We are proud to see Champagne Bollinger become part of Aston Martin’s most exceptional moments around the world.”

Founded in 1913, Aston Martin is a symbol of British performance and handcrafted excellence. The marque’s century-long history of creating celebrated sports cars, which combine cutting-edge engineering with timeless design, mirrors the values held by the 196-year-old Champagne house. Since its founding in 1829, family-owned Bollinger has maintained a distinctive balance between heritage and forward-thinking excellence, even holding a continuous Royal Warrant from the British Royal Household since 1884.

Stefano Saporetti, Director of Brand Diversification at Aston Martin, said the partnership exemplifies the automaker’s spirit of creating “unforgettable experiences that blend performance, craftsmanship, and artistry.”

As part of the agreement, Champagne Bollinger will be present at key Aston Martin VIP events and customer gatherings globally, from exclusive launches to intimate unveilings. The strategic partnership aims to reinforce both brand’s commitment to elevating lifestyle experiences for discerning global audiences. Stay tuned to see what the collaboration has in store for fans of both brands.

You’d expect South Africa to be hot, right? The sun-soaked plains outside of Stellenbosch and the colossal mountains that crown every landscape. Further north, a healthy population of giraffes, lions, buffalo, rhinos, and elephants. 

But wind up, up, up those mountains to find the cooler side of South Africa. It snows here, which doesn’t make it an outwardly appealing wine region but Cederberg trudges on anyway. All the work is worth it–Cabernet Sauvignon ripens to its most elegant here, so expect breathy, complex, highly ageable Cabernets packed with cedar wood, black current, pine, and cassis. It’s dense and dark but mineral and cool.

The best part? These Cabernets are exacting in quality but incredibly value driven—this one costs the same as entry-level Napa, but tastes as if you should add a few zeros to its sticker price. $70

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Here’s what you’re going to do: Get on a flight to Cape Town, South Africa. Then say goodbye to the city and drive towards the wild plains of Swartland, known for wild golden hills, soaring mountains and the smell of fynbos (a South African native brush) on the breeze. While the region may be rugged, the wines of Mullineaux are absolutely not. Mullineaux was started by Andrea Mullineaux, a University of California Davis grad who moved to France, where she met her husband, Chris. They came back to his homeland of South Africa and started their own project. The wines are beautiful—precise, elegant, and expressive. Each is named after the soils that they grow in. The granite, a Chenin Blanc, is packed with ripe peaches, lime zest, hazelnuts and apples. It’s fresh, mineral, and tastes like South African sunshine. $73

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Santa Cruz is a pretty cool place to make wine. There are the beaches, yes, where someone just surfed a 108-foot wave. But up in the mountains surrounding the Monterey Bay, winemakers are producing excellent, elegant wines I can’t get enough of.

The region leans into its alpine energy. Wines here are heavily influenced by the crisp mountain air and drifting ocean breezes, so expect shimmering mineral Chardonnays 

Tasting rooms have taken over former logging cabins. Others inhibit architecturally-minded spaces designed to complement the surrounding forests. Quiet towns have popular spots for mountain fare, but also wine bars and restaurants that highlight the nearby ocean’s bounty. Some winemakers work up in the mountains but pour them in beach-front tasting rooms on the California coast.

Sommelier-turned-winemaker Ted Glennon works across the mountains, cherry picking grapes from across the range. His ethos is amplifying tension, between the beach and the mountains, the fog and the sun, the cool mountain breezes and the shimmering California warmth. 

He’s currently working with Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Start with the latter. It’s a Cab that shows off California’s cooler side, both literally (the mountains are crisp and alpine) and figuratively, it’s a fresh, modern take on California Cab. Herbaceous and supple, with lovely, joyful fruit and a mountain acidity. $52

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

There are very few new wines that become instant icons. Those bottles that get safely stored for years, and opened only on special occasions. They’re usually historic houses, ones formed and refined over centuries. On the other hand, Ipsus, a label by the Mazzei family, is a relative newcomer. Giovanni Mazzei purchased the estate in 2006, and launched the first vintage to market in 2015. So how is a baby wine brand winning such big raves from critics? Noted wine critic James Suckling rated it a 98, declaring it ”superb,” and it was similarly gushed over by Wine Spectator.

The magic is in the vineyard, a unique, sun-drenched plot of Castellina in Chianti Classico. They purchased a larger plot of property (right beside their Castello di Fonterutoli estate) from a former Castello Banfi winemaker. On the estate, a 16-acre parcel of pristine, otherworldly Sangiovese. The land was too special, the grapes too ethereal to be blended. So they decided to launch it as its own wine—a bottling that captures a precious plot of Chianti Classico. 

Now, they’re pushing the boundaries of what Sangiovese can do. Ipsus is breathtaking—textured and rich, enveloping the palate with roses, lavender, and cherries. It’s luminous and entrancing. Every sip unveils a million new flavors and emotions, continuing to intrigue until the last sip. “I can say with confidence that 2021 stands as an extraordinary vintage—possibly the finest expression of Ipsus to date,” says Mazzei. $249

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Ten years after its ballyhooed entry into the world of luxury Champagne with its first Blanc de Noirs cuvée, Armand de Brignac has unveiled its fifth iteration: the Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 5. This limited-edition bottle, crafted entirely from Pinot Noir grapes, represents a culmination of a decade-long vision to bolster the brand’s Champagne legacy.

The new cuvée is composed of wines from the 2014, 2015, and 2016 vintages, aged for seven years on the lees. Grapes were predominantly sourced from revered Premier and Grand Cru villages such as Chigny-les-Roses, Verzenay, and Verzy, with a small proportion from the Aube region’s Ville-sur-Arce contributing to its richness and distinct red fruit aromas. Only 8,165 bottles of Assemblage No. 5 exist globally, each individually numbered and marked with an August 21, 2024 disgorgement date, emphasizing its rarity for collectors.

Shawn Carter, better known as the hip-hop legend and entrepreneur Jay-Z, is the founder of Armand de Brignac and co-owner of the bubbly brand along with Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH. In a statement heralding the bottle launch, Carter declared, “Assemblage No. 5 is the result of years of patience, precision, and purpose. It’s bold, it’s rare, and it reflects the legacy we’ve been building bottle by bottle.”

Jasmin Allen, CEO of Armand de Brignac, described the release as “not simply another cuvée, it’s a celebration of legacy and a leap forward.” She added, “It honors a decade of craftsmanship while pushing the boundaries of what modern Champagne can be.”

To celebrate this milestone, Armand de Brignac collaborated with a three-Michelin-starred chef based in Champagne, France. Each 750ml bottle comes in Armand de Brignac’s signature lacquered wood gift box. The Champagne has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 12.5% and is recommended to be served at 47–48°F after cellaring at 53–54°F to fully reveal its intricate profile.

Tasting notes for Assemblage No. 5 describe an aromatic profile of “dried fruits, roasted almonds, and toasted nuts,” complemented by black fruits like plum, fig, and black currant. Hints of “exotic mango, papaya, and kiwi” add depth, while notes of salinity and iodine provide clarity. With time, “layers of pastry cream, honey, orange blossom, and toasted coffee” are said to emerge, as well as “candied black fruits, pink grapefruit zest, bergamot, and a warmth from Italian Amaretti biscuit.”

Following its Japanese debut, Assemblage No. 5 is slated for release in select international markets, with U.S. availability anticipated in early 2026.

I fell in love with Querciabella a few years ago. It’s hard not to—the stunning Tuscan property is camped on the top of a hill in Greve, in the legendary confines of Chianti Classico. Their vines wind down and up the Etruscan hillsides, with landscapes that everyone from famed chef Dario Cecchini to actress Diane Lane have fallen for. There’s no shortage of Sangiovese makers in the region but Querciabella continues to rise above the rest. They oversee 220 acres of plush, verdant organic vineyards down in Radda and up in Lamole, on the very tippy top of Tuscany. 

Their entry-level wines (around $30 to $40) are excellent—rich, perfumed, expressive reds that punch well above their price tags. I opened a bottle with a pal recently and it sung beside raw tuna, ceviche, and a strip loin. But the pinnacle of the property is the Gran Selezione, the highest level of Chianti Classico and a testament to good viticulture, great land, and excellent winemaking. It’s polished and finessed, concentrated and packed with all these notes of blueberries and rosemary and oak (Querciabella does mean beautiful oak). Inimitable. $280

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

The words Santa Cruz elicits beach, surf, and other coastal California connotations. But wind up, away from the beach and into the redwood forests to find some of the most interesting, exacting and exquisite wine in North America. Start with Thomas Fogarty. Founded in 1981, the winery is perched at the tippy top of the region, well above the fog line and with Silicon Valley unfolding at its feet. It’s a wild place to make wine—the vineyards sit atop mountains, and dip and curve out of redwood forests and steep drops.

It’s remote, on roads favored by motor bikers and other explorers, who come for the incredible sunsets over the mountains. That wildness is worth it, as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive in the fog-draped landscape. Tommy Fogarty has been here since 1981, making compelling, expressive takes on the grape. All seem to reflect the mountain—they taste of sagebrush, pine, bay laurel, chaparral and other local herbs. The wines breath with freshness only found in the highest peaks. I’m in love with all the wines Fogarty makes, but try the Pinot Noir’s Razorback Vineyard first. It’s intense and austere, with dark florals, notes of incense, juniper, and bay laurel, and a fresh fruitiness that ties together the herbaceousness. $85

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Maybe I’m biased—the wine does have my name on it, after all. But Katie’s Acre does come from a special place. That’s both literal and figurative. The bottle is born from Katie’s Acre, a small plot of land on Trefethen’s historic Napa estate. Most of the vines sit under or circle the magnificent canopy of a stoic old walnut tree in the center of their Oak Knoll property. When Catherine and Gene Trefethen took over the land in 1968, it was full of walnut trees—vineyards weren’t what the Napa Valley was known for back then. As they pulled up the orchards to transition them to vines, Catherine “Katie” fell in love with one tree. Don’t you dare touch that tree. 

Sixty years later, the tree still stands, old and gnarled and too ancient to produce nuts. Historically, it’s the largest known living example of a Paradox Walnut. But birds call it home, and the draping canopy is the perfect place to relax (with wine) in the Napa heat. During the harvest, family and friends gather under the tree to celebrate the year. Lorenzo Trefthen got married here, The single acre of Chardonnay is made into a bottle in Catherine’s honor. It tastes like it—layered with brioche, lemon curd, and pear. The oak hugs the wine but acidity shines through—vibrant, fresh, and romantic. Serve it alongside seafood and with someone you love. $60

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

What happens when a Japanese whisky maker buys a French vineyard? Beautiful, beautiful Bordeaux. In 1983, Suntory, the legendary producers of Japanese whisky, were looking to expand their empire. They landed in Bordeaux, where Chateau Lagrange sits at the highest point of the Saint-Julien appellation. 

The chateau’s crown jewel is Chateau Lagrange Grand Vin, a 3ème Grand Cru Classé, born from the 291 acres of vines that surround the chateau. Only 17,000 cases are made every year and they absolutely shine. The wine is a rich, expressive example of the singularity of the Medoc soil. It’s intense, with notes of cassis, cedarwood, and red fruit with an ethereal minerality that dances across the palate.

The Japanese connection is apparent. Everything is precise and thoughtful. There’s the bamboo garden, which circles the pond outside the chateau. Visitors can sip and swirl Bordeaux, but also participate in cooking classes, where they can learn to make maki rolls. Recently, I had the pleasure of drinking the 1986 and 1959 versions of this same bottle. Both were exquisite—still youthful and fresh, even some 80 years. My advice would be to buy a few bottles for now, then hide some away for future you. $89.99

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.