{"id":879,"date":"2021-08-31T10:05:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T14:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=879"},"modified":"2025-07-29T09:12:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:12:52","slug":"alison-napjus-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/alison-napjus-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Alison Napjus \u201999 Helps Oenophiles Decide What to Uncork"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left rkv-gutter-bottom-triple has-large-font-size\">Hotelie is <em>Wine Spectator\u2019<\/em>s senior editor and tasting director<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By <strong>Beth Saulnier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-style-default\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">\u201cLike a stallion out of the gate, this shows an initial explosion of power, in the form of mouthwatering flavors and fine texture, before quickly settling into an elegant gait,\u201d <em>Wine Spectator<\/em> critic Alison Napjus \u201999 recently wrote of a rare 2008 Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne, which she rated 97 out of 100. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe racy acidity is seamlessly knit, buoying the lacy mousse and flavors of cassis, toasted brioche, and tangerine, with accents of candied ginger, hazelnut, and <em>fleur de sel<\/em> lingering on the long, creamy finish.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Napjus seated drinking wine.\" class=\"wp-image-1542 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A-100x125.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/2013-03-29-20.05.37A.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption>Alison Napjus enjoying a glass of ros\u00e9 at a Parisian restaurant. <em>(Photo provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As the magazine\u2019s senior editor and tasting director, the Hotel alum has one of the wine world\u2019s most visible jobs. In addition to overseeing reviews of some 16,000 wines each year (at least in normal, non-pandemic times), Napjus personally evaluates the offerings of France\u2019s Champagne and Alsace regions, as well as wines from South Africa and parts of Italy. On the magazine\u2019s staff since 2000, Napjus also writes articles\u2014one in July parsed new labeling regulations for <em>Shampanskoye<\/em>, Russia\u2019s answer to Champagne\u2014and makes tasting and educational videos for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winespectator.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">winespectator.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p> She writes in a way that\u2019s fun, interesting, and educational, whether you\u2019re a novice or someone who\u2019s highly educated about wine.<\/p>\n<cite><strong>Cheryl Stanley \u201900<\/strong>, who teaches Intro to Wines<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s driving interest and knowledge in these regions by what she\u2019s tasting and how she\u2019s describing the wines,\u201d says fellow Hotelie Cheryl Stanley \u201900, who teaches the ever-popular Intro to Wines course on the Hill and knows Napjus from their undergrad days. \u201cHer tasting notes and articles are easy to understand. She writes in a way that\u2019s fun, interesting, and educational, whether you\u2019re a novice or someone who\u2019s highly educated about wine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in an age when resources abound online, <em>Wine Spectator<\/em>\u2014with its venerable track record, accessible language, and easy-to-digest 100-point scale\u2014remains a potent force in the industry, Stanley says. In her own days as a retailer in California, she recalls, \u201cas soon as they posted the new scores, you\u2019d check your inventory\u2014because you knew that the top-scoring wines would sell out.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile is-style-offset\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Napjus sitting at a table behind a line of wine glasses.\" class=\"wp-image-1641 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Napjus_MG_4368-A-296x166.jpg 296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Napjus at the 2013 New York Wine Experience. <em>(Photo provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Even during the pandemic, tastings (safely distanced) have continued at the magazine\u2019s Manhattan headquarters\u2014and, Napjus says, the educational offerings on its website have seen a big surge in traffic. \u201cPeople have been taking the time to look wines up and learn more about them,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t know if that will continue as we go back to a more social setting, but I hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Developing a passion for wine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Napjus didn\u2019t grow up in a particularly wine-obsessed family\u2014though it is a big Cornellian one: her parents, Chris Napjus \u201962 and Barbara Dohren Napjus \u201963, are alumni, as are sisters Elizabeth Napjus \u201993 and Catherine Napjus \u201901. While she loved her beverage-related courses during undergrad (which included a semester abroad in Florence, Italy), her longtime dream was to own her own restaurant, and after graduation she worked as a manager at Manhattan\u2019s tony Tribeca Grill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually realizing she had a passion for wine, she took an entry-level job at <em>Wine Spectator<\/em>, thinking she might soak up knowledge for a few years and segue back to dining. \u201cI wanted to surround myself with people who were educated about wine, who knew more than I did and whom I could learn from,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd here I am, 21 years later\u2014and even though I\u2019ve vastly built my knowledge, I feel like I\u2019m still surrounded by people who know more. That\u2019s one of the things I love the most about the job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Napjus has long covered wines from France and Italy, South Africa is a relatively recent addition to her portfolio\u2014and she\u2019s been pleasantly surprised. \u201cThey have their own unique character, but also a lot of the fruit-forward nature that will appeal to people who like California wines,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s something a little different but not too far outside their comfort zone, and there are great values.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Napjus in a vineyard during a visit to a winery while studying abroad in Florence, Italy, in 1997.\" class=\"wp-image-1540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/40th_editors-napjus_111516-A-296x166.jpg 296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Napjus in a vineyard while studying abroad in Florence, Italy, in 1997. <em>(Photo provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Napjus has also encouraged readers to explore Italian wines beyond the familiar regions of Tuscany and Piedmont. \u201cRight now, there\u2019s a lot of growth in the U.S. for wines from Sicily\u2014spearheaded by wines from Mount Etna, which are very terroir-driven and have a kinship with Burgundy,\u201d she says. \u201cBut Sicily is a big island, and they make a lot of varieties. So if you don\u2019t want something in this Burgundian style, there are bigger reds from Nero d\u2019Avola [grapes] and crisp whites from Inzolia and Grillo. I think it\u2019s true of most Italian regions that you can find something unique if you\u2019re willing to open a bottle and try something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asked if her job\u2014tasting and thinking about wine all day\u2014keeps her from enjoying it in her off hours, Napjus says: absolutely not. But does she have favorites? \u201cThe diplomatic answer\u2014and the true answer, honestly\u2014is that there are so many types from all over the world, and so many styles, there\u2019s something for every occasion,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I do tend to enjoy European wines the most; Italian wine, for sure, is regularly opened in our house.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unsurprisingly, Napjus constantly fields wine queries from friends, family, and strangers\u2014including, as she notes with a laugh, one pal who regularly taps her expertise in real time. \u201cI have a good friend who lives in London,\u201d she says, \u201cwho does not hesitate to WhatsApp me pictures of a wine list and ask for recommendations while she\u2019s out to dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">Published October 5, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hotelie is senior editor and tasting director of <em>Wine Spectator<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":1638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[229],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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