It's nearly 2025, which means it’s a great time to look back at the past 12 months and their most exciting moments for wine and more. So pause that Simpsons episode about counterfeiting wine and save a nip of Beyoncé's whisky for later, because we’re rolling out the red carpet for our top 12 wine and culture moments of 2024. And while celebrities always rule Unfiltered's roost, it's a bit of vinous history that tops this year's list! Read on for more, and click through on each headline to get the full stories; plus, sign up for our Unfiltered newsletter for the latest wine and culture updates in 2025!
12. 170-Year-Old Shipwrecked Champagne Hoard Discovered Near Sweden
It sometimes feels like wine has a habit of falling to the briny deep. On July 23, Polish wreck diver and underwater photographer Tomasz Stachura announced that he and his Baltictech team had discovered the wreck of a 19th-century sailing ship near Öland, an island off the coast of Sweden, and it was crammed with bottles of Champagne and mineral water.
“I have been diving for 40 years, and it often happens that there is one bottle or two … but to discover a wreck with so much cargo, it’s a first for me,” Stachura said.
Posted July 30
11. It's 'Official': Kendall-Jackson and La Crema Join the NBA's Wine Family
For years, the NBA has been nicknamed the “Wine League,” but now it’s officially tipping off. The National Basketball Association is embarking on a partnership with California's Jackson Family Wines establishing Kendall-Jackson as the official wine of the NBA, and K-J's sister wine La Crema as the official wine of the Women's National Basketball Association. These affiliations also extended to Teams USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Kendall-Jackson,” said Julie Morris, head of commercial development and media for the NBA. “It was a long time coming.”
Posted April 4
10. A Luxury Ride Inspired by a Luxury Wine? Antinori and Maserati Unveil Collaboration
Picture this: You’re driving through the Tuscan countryside in a slick, new sports car; the wind is whipping through your hair as world-famous Chianti Classico vineyards disappear in the rearview mirror. In perhaps one of the most Italian collabs ever, Maserati and Marchesi Antinori have teamed up to release one of the first 100 percent electric luxury convertibles, inspired by Antinori’s world-famous super Tuscan Tignanello. And the wheels could be yours—the car was auctioned off for charity at the Festival Napa Valley's Arts for All Gala on July 14.
The car was created exclusively for Marchesi Antinori, whose family history in wine goes back 600 years and 26 generations, making them one of the most iconic names in Italian wine, if not the world. The bespoke driving machine, the GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello, was inspired by the vineyards of Antinori’s Tenuta Tignanello, an estate located in the heart of Chianti Classico.
Posted July 1
9. At Least the Wine Was Good: LeBron James Brought a Bottle of Opus One to an NBA Playoff Game
When attending an NBA game, it’s not uncommon to see courtside seats filled with athletes and celebrities taking in the competition, and the Game 4 playoff battle between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena in Cleveland, Ohio, was no exception. Mark Wahlberg and Khloe Kardashian were among the A-listers in the arena. But only one celeb merited a lengthy video montage on the Jumbotron and a standing ovation from the crowd—LeBron James was in the house. And he was drinking wine fit for a king.
James, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, started his legendary career with his hometown Cavs and later returned to lead the franchise to its first-ever NBA title in 2016, when they came back from down three games to one to beat Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers went down this year in the first round, so what brought LeBron to Cleveland? Was he supporting his hometown team? Was he hoping to persuade Donovan Mitchell to join the Lakers?
More important, was that an entire bottle of wine under his seat?
Posted May 29
8. What’s in the Prime Minister’s Wine Cellar?
Deep in the bowels of Lancaster House, a mansion in central London near Buckingham Palace, a 32,301-bottle collection of wine lies on shelves. It belongs to the British government and has been a useful tool in diplomatic efforts for more than a century now.
It’s also occasionally a source of controversy, however. A biannual report from the Government Hospitality Office sparked sharp criticism from the opposition party over wine that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration consumed during the pandemic at a time of social restrictions and lockdowns.
Posted Feb. 23
7. Winery Vandals Strike Again
An intruder spilled $2.7 million worth of wine in the cellars of Spain’s Cepa 21, opening the valves on three tanks full of wine from the 2023 vintage. It's another disturbing example of winery vandalism.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, police arrested a suspect accused of striking Sparkman Cellars. Who is believed to be behind the crime?
Posted Feb. 27
6. Champion Golfer Jon Rahm Turns to Spain’s CVNE Wines for Masters Club Dinner
What runs through a golfer’s mind just after securing the green Champion’s jacket at the conclusion of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club? For 2023 winner Jon Rahm, Unfiltered thinks it was probably food and wine—specifically what the golfer (No. 3 in the world) would select for the Champions Dinner the following year.
As the reigning Champion, Rahm was responsible for choosing the menu and paying for the 2024 Masters Club Dinner, an annual event held on the first Tuesday of the tournament to which all former Champions are invited. Honoring Rahm’s native country, the April 9 event’s menu paired Spanish cuisine and wines. But one wine in particular had special significance for Rahm …
Posted April 12
5. Dame Jacinda Ardern 'Finally' Ties the Knot at Craggy Range Winery
New Zealand's 40th prime minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern, 43, married her longtime fiancé, TV host Clarke Gayford, 47, in a private ceremony held Jan. 13 at Craggy Range Winery in Hawke’s Bay. Engaged for five years, the couple originally planned to wed in 2022, but postponed their ceremony due to her administration's pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. Keeping true to her final speech to parliament in 2023, she told Gayford, “Let's finally get married.”
Ardern became New Zealand’s youngest prime minister at age 37 when she took premiership in 2017. She stepped down from her post in January 2023, saying that she no longer had “enough in the tank to do it justice.” She and Gayford met in 2014, and their daughter, Neve, was born in 2018. Since stepping down, Ardern has been honored with three fellowships at Harvard University, and she was named Dame Grand Companion, the New Zealand Order of Merit's highest honor, as part of this past year's celebrations of King Charles III's coronation.
Posted Feb. 14
4. Presidential Pits: Archaeologists Find 29 Bottles of Cherries and Berries at George Washington’s Mount Vernon
It’s well-established that U.S. presidents have historically been fans of fine food and wine. That includes the nation’s first Commander in Chief, Madeira drinker and whiskey distiller George Washington. (It may have run in the Washington family.)
With a recent archaeological discovery at the president’s Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia, now a museum owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, we have more evidence that Washington was a fan of fruit too. (No, it isn’t the cherry tree he cut down … because that probably never happened.)
The Mount Vernon team announced this month that archaeologists discovered dozens of 18th-century glass bottles in storage pits beneath the estate cellar; 29 of them were still intact, sealed and packed with preserved cherries and berries (probably currants or gooseberries).
Posted June 17
3. Will George Clooney's Midas Touch with Drinks Work for Wine?
When it comes to attracting celebrity wine investors, only Napa Valley and Champagne can hold a candle to Provence's awesome gravitational pull on the galaxy's biggest stars. And the French Riviera will soon celebrate one of the most highly anticipated celebrity wine forays in years—from someone who already conquered the coffee and tequila industries.
Husband-and-wife Provence estate and vineyard owners George and Amal Clooney are expected to release their first wines this spring, a white and a rosé produced at their Domaine du Canadel in Brignoles in the south of France. The wines will carry the Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC.
The Clooneys bought the 420-acre estate in 2021. In addition to a large manor, it came with olive orchards and 10 acres of vines planted two decades ago by winemaker and agronomist Laurence Berlemont.
Posted Feb 27
2. Pope Francis Doesn’t Just Enjoy Wine; He Believes It’s a Gift from God
Pope Francis confirmed the opinion shared by faithful wine lovers around the world: that “wine … is a gift from God.”
The pope’s comments were addressed to some of Italy’s leading winemakers during a private audience on Jan. 22 organized by the bishop of Verona, Domenico Pompili. The meeting was a lead-up to Italy’s largest wine fair, Vinitaly, which takes place in Verona each year. They were held from April 15–17, 2024.
The vintners proved an eager audience. “Meeting Papa Francesco was a real treat,” said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi de' Frescobaldi. “The speech he gave us was brief but important.”
Posted Feb 2
1. What Did Ancient Roman Wine Taste Like?
The inhabitants of ancient Rome were known for their love of wine—growing, shipping and drinking it throughout their empire. But what exactly did their wine taste like? Would we find it palatable today?
New research on the winemaking practices of Ancient Rome has found that not only was Roman winemaking far more advanced than previous studies have found, but also that Roman wine had complex flavors and colors, with many similarities to modern wine—as well as some notable differences.
Published in Cambridge University Press’ journal Antiquity, “Making Wine in Earthenware Vessels: A Comparative Approach to Roman Vinification” provides evidence that ancient Roman vintners used familiar practices like controlled maceration, oxidation and pigéage, or punch-downs, to craft wines with various colors, tastes and aromas that were far more sophisticated than past research has suggested.
Posted March 1
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