Wine 101

Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur took his father's work, expanded it, and solidified the Lafite brand within the elite upper echelons of French royal culture.

It's one of the most popular grapes on the globe, especially in the US, particularly in Northern California. We have been in a big, bold trend for years, but after tasting bottles for this year's VinePair's Best Cabernet Sauvignons of 2026, I observed a shift.

When a military family enters the Bordeaux government, they discover the Médoc's untapped potential.

On this special episode of Wine 101, we share with you an episode that ran on The VinePair Podcast earlier this week. Adam Teeter is joined by Dave Phinney, the founder of Orin Swift, to discuss his storied career in the wine industry, why he's so committed to traveling to sell and support his wines, what reaching new consumers means in this day and age, and much more.

Before Château Lafite Rothschild existed, there was only a la hite in the Médoc archipelago. Allow me to explain.

On this special episode of Wine 101, we share with you an episode that ran on The VinePair Podcast earlier this week. Adam Teeter is joined by Nicole Hitchcock, the estate director of J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma, California, about her background in wine, what's so exciting about California sparkling wine, and the current state of Sonoma. 

We cap off our Haut Brion story with the Chateau creating the first wine bar, the first luxury wine brand, and the source of the first published tasting note. All this with Lafite waiting in the wings.

As a new generation takes stewardship of Haut-Brion, war erupts abroad. When the smoke finally clears, Arnaud III de Pontac is ready to change the world of wine forever.