1945 Domaine De La Romanée-Conti Breaks Record for Most Expensive Bottle of Wine Sold at Auction
A 1945 bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti fetched $812,500 at Acker’s La Paulée auction, shattering the previous record of $558,000 set in 2018. The sale helped the event reach $25 million in total bids, featuring other elite Burgundian estates. The vintage, the last pre‑phylloxeric harvest, underscores the rarity premium driving ultra‑high‑end wine prices. The achievement arrives amid renewed scrutiny of Acker’s past fraud controversies, highlighting both market appetite and reputational risk.
NYIOOC Unveils Marketplace for Fresh, Award-Winning Olive Oils
The New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) has launched a multilingual e‑commerce platform, oliveoilshop.com, that sells only current‑year award‑winning extra‑virgin olive oils. The marketplace connects consumers in Europe, the United States and Canada directly with producers and authorized distributors,...
What’s Happening with Infant Formula?
Infant formula is under heightened scrutiny as contamination scandals and heavy‑metal findings erode consumer trust. RFK Jr. is pressuring the FDA to ban high‑fructose corn syrup and seed oils, while new entrant Little Spoon touts stricter ingredient testing in full‑page ads....
The VinePair Podcast: Do Restaurants Need to Rethink Their Revenue Ratios?
The VinePair Podcast examines a seismic shift in restaurant economics, where the historic 60‑percent alcohol‑to‑40‑percent food revenue split is eroding. A recent New York Times report shows food now generates the majority of sales as alcohol purchases decline. Hosts Adam,...
1389. Your Organic Protein Powder Is Slowly Killing You
Dave Asprey and PUORI CEO Oliver Amdrup‑Chamby reveal widespread contamination in the supplement market, showing that plant‑based and organic protein powders can contain up to ten times more heavy metals than whey. They explain that the organic label offers no...
The Cocktail Grifter's Ascent To The Mount Olympus Of Bars
William T. Boothby, nicknamed “Cocktail” Boothby, rose from a colorful early career to dominate San Francisco’s bar scene in the late 1800s and authored the seminal guide ‘Cocktail Boothby’s American Bartender’ in 1891. His flamboyant self‑promotion and political connections helped him secure...
Get Ready for a Crisis in Food Prices and Insecurity
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran is sharply disrupting both oil and fertilizer supplies. Crude prices have jumped more than 50% while fertilizer costs have risen 30‑40% as a third of global trade passes through the...
The Lychee Martini’s Going Back to Its Roots
The lychee martini, a 1990s New York invention, is being reclaimed by Asian‑focused bars that emphasize the fruit’s authentic flavor. Bartenders across the U.S. are swapping sugary mixes for fresh lychee, tea infusions, milk‑washed spirits, and even fermented brines, creating...
Trade Agreements Extend Europe’s Food Quality Rules Beyond Its Borders
The European Union is embedding its geographical indication (GI) system into major trade agreements, extending protected food‑quality standards to markets in Latin America, Oceania, Japan, Canada, China and India. Recent deals with Australia and the Mercosur bloc will recognize hundreds...
Costco’s ‘Got That Dog’ in New Bourbon With Iconic $1.50 Hot Dog on the Label
Costco quietly added a new single‑barrel bourbon titled “I Got That Dog In Me,” featuring the retailer’s iconic $1.50 hot‑dog label. The Rare Character bottling, 126.1 proof and priced at $85.99, was limited to one bottle per member and initially...
On Menorca, an Olive Oil Identity Shaped by Soil, Sea and Wind
Son Felip, a farm in northern Menorca, earned a Silver Award at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for its Koroneiki monovarietal extra virgin olive oil. The producer uses regenerative agriculture, early‑harvest processing, and biodiversity‑focused practices that boost polyphenol...
Sommelier Program Returns to New York for 10th Edition
The Olive Oil Times Education Lab’s Sommelier Certificate Program is back in New York’s Flatiron District for its 10th annual edition, a milestone for the five‑day intensive course. The flagship program delivers rigorous training in sensory analysis, production methods, health benefits,...
Tequila Cocktails That Go Beyond the Margarita
Imbibe Magazine highlights a growing movement to push tequila beyond the Margarita, showcasing a curated list of inventive cocktails that pair the spirit with ingredients like pistachio, coffee, chocolate mole, and citrus spritzes. James Beard semifinalist Dan Suro of La...
With Its 30th Anniversary, Italian Craft Beer Comes of Age
Italian craft beer marks its 30th anniversary, highlighting a transformation from obscure microbreweries to an internationally recognized scene. Pioneers like Birrificio Italiano introduced the Italian‑style pilsner, now a flagship export, while domestic hop farms and ingredient sourcing have reduced reliance...
The Dirty Dozen Debate Continues - What You Need to Know, The Bee Crisis, and a Coffee Worth Talking About
The Environmental Working Group’s annual Dirty Dozen list returned this spring, sparking renewed debate over pesticide residues versus actual health risk. While the list now incorporates EPA toxicity scores, critics argue it still ignores dose‑response risk assessment, and USDA data...
TBPN Evolves with a Debate Segment.
TBPN is expanding its content mix by adding a live debate segment, signaling a shift toward more interactive programming. The newsletter also spotlights a visit to the Butter Lamb headquarters in Buffalo, a new Hamptons diner courting creators for a...
Casks and Consequences: The Debate Over Buying Whiskey Barrels
In May 2025 Whisky Merchants Trading Ltd., once valued at $80 million, declared bankruptcy, leaving investors scrambling to locate dozens of 53‑gallon barrels stored across Scotland. The collapse highlights a broader controversy in the whisky‑cask market, where past successes—such as 1990s...