How Apple’s Design-First Paradigm Is Elevating One Cult Wine
Don’t look now but the wine market is set for recovery this year, plus Michigan sets stage for craft beverage boost, why the new dietary guidelines are a bust & all of the other Good + Tasty bits
Former Apple Exec Brings Big Design Thinking To Micro-Lot Winemaking
After decades spent building products at Silicon Valley speed, he chose to pursue a more contemplative set of passions such as wine, Japanese culture, and Japanese food, while building a business that is deliberately small, design forward, and personal.
He produces just 600 to 800 cases per vintage, sometimes fewer than 100 cases of a single wine. It is a boutique operation with a big vision, rooted not in scale but in intention.
Soren is now the mind behind a radical wine venture years in the making, developing a high-end Pinot Noir crafted specifically to pair with Japanese cuisine. Ask Soren where this all began and he traces it back to two childhood obsessions, the Mac and Japan.
What Will Fine Wine Do in 2026?
The outlook is, if not sunny, notably not grim.
First out of the gate is an element of optimism, a rather rare commodity in recent months.
As the Liv‑ex 2025 in Review: Key Market Shifts and Signals for 2025 report points out, all of its major indices have risen consistently since September 2025, “giving the fine wine market a degree of optimism” for 2026.
It noted in particular the increase of bid:offer ratios (“a barometer of market sentiment and reliable indicator of future price movements”) in the second half of the year, followed by prices, and trade values and volumes rising throughout September and October. The autumn too saw the company talk about early signs of recovery on the Asian market, even though “the increased trade… remains stop-start in nature”.
As Tom Burchfield, head of market intelligence, notes, “there is a sense that the market is beginning to turn the corner”. He points out to sentiment in the Asian market improving, European buying “taking up much of the slack left by a US pullback”.
“If these green shoots continue to take hold over the first half of the year, we might finally be able to declare the market has entered recovery,” he said.
Michigan Craft Beverage Council Forks Out the Big Bucks for Research
The Michigan Craft Beverage Council (MCBC) recently awarded $439,460 in research and education grants to help strengthen the state’s craft beer, wine, spirits and hard cider industries.
Since 2019, MCBC has awarded nearly $3 million in research and education grants to help strengthen Michigan’s craft beverage industry, which is home to more than 750 craft establishments. Michigan ranks in the top 10 nationally for wineries, distilleries, breweries and cideries, supporting more than 25,000 jobs and generating $7.3 billion in economic output.
“Michigan’s craft beverage industry is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the nation, and we plan to keep it that way,” Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and chair of the MCBC, said in a statement.
“These grants will help boost production of Michigan-grown craft beverage inputs, promote sustainable agriculture, encourage innovation and propel growth in the craft beverage industry.”
MCBC awarded 11 research grants for the 2026 cycle.
SNACK TIME
How Could the New Dietary Guidelines Backfire?
Let us count the ways. This diet meets the new recommendations for servings of fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, and fiber. But it is basically a high fat, high protein, low carbohydrate diet. This has not been the recommendation of past guidelines and is a clear departure from the literature. Furthermore, as you can imagine, this real food diet is quite expensive with our current food prices.
While there is no clear literature on the need to increase protein recommendations from 0.8 grams/kilogram to 1.2 to 1.6 grams/kilogram, the higher protein intake is in line with what Americans are eating on average. For body builders, people doing resistance training, people trying to build muscle mass, the new range of protein intake has been the recommendation. Protein intake should not exceed 2.0 grams/kilogram.
That being said, when one macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) is increased in the diet, another macronutrient by default is decreased. By virtue of the new protein recommendations, promotion of meat and full-fat dairy, the proportion of the diet that is made up of carbohydrates can only be decreased.
The promotion of red meat and full fat dairy is messaged in many places. The lack of messaging for the full range of plant-based proteins is disconcerting because it can lead to higher risk of heart disease. There is a vast literature that shows a link between red meat and heart disease as well as several cancers.
Cheese Trends for 2026 Include … Byproducts, Texture, and Wellness
Sustainability, wellness, texture, and protein are among the trends to keep an eye on in the cheese industry this year.
Those findings highlight Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin’s (DFW) annual Wisconsin Cheese Trends Report, which explores how science, sustainability, and creativity are shaping the future of dairy, and how the state’s cheesemakers are turning bold ideas into tangible progress.
Drawing on insights from the Center for Dairy Research and Wisconsin producers at the forefront of new product development, the report highlights where innovation is happening and where it’s headed next.
“From transforming byproducts into new resources to uncovering the science behind flavor, these stories show how Wisconsin’s dairy community continues to lead through curiosity, craftsmanship, and care.”
THE JET SET
Ready To Bust a Move Solo This Year? Here’s Where To Go
When it comes to traveling without family or friends, some destinations rise to the top. And in 2026, solo travelers are dreaming of three countries in particular: Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
That is according to a new report from FTLO Travel, a group travel company catering to 25 to 39 year olds. And while there are many reasons to circle the globe, the overwhelming majority of solo travelers surveyed by the company—nearly 74.6 percent—said their top goal was to simply see the world.
Beyond Australia/Oceania and Asia, FTLO Travel found solo travelers were also thinking of planning trips to Europe, followed by South America and Africa.
Overall, the company found 51 percent of travelers surveyed haven’t yet booked a vacation for 2026, but just over 42 percent said they plan to travel more this year than they did in 2025.
Resorts in Mexico Draw Well-Heeled Hordes By Focusing on Culture, Not Cliche
Less tequila and tacos, more servings of authenticity.
A new Deloitte study projects Mexico will be the fifth most visited country worldwide by 2040, as global interest drives tourism growth. Despite a drop in international travel to the United States, Americans are leaving the country more than ever, and our neighbor to the south remains a favorite destination. Luxury and millennial travelers to Mexico seek culture, rejecting the stereotype of an all-inclusive cocoon.
Eighty-seven percent of luxury travelers look for authentic and exclusive cultural experiences when they travel, according to the Capital One Luxury Trendcast 2026 report. Approximately 60% of millennials consider authentic cultural experiences to be the most essential aspect of travel. Demand among this group for tours that feature biodiversity, cultural preservation and sustainability is expected to grow 5.1% annually from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. Throughout Mexico, resorts rise to meet the moment.
At Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, the local heritage shapes the guest experience. From the hotel entrance chiseled through a mountain tunnel to the rough-hewn, lacquered doors throughout, you can’t help but feel grounded in Mexico.
The establishment is walkable to major sites in Cabo San Lucas, a city quickly developing into a world-class tourist destination, with the resulting construction and traffic. Despite record visitor numbers in 2025, this hotel delightfully shuts out all the noise.
Newly renovated guest rooms pair modern amenities with the warmth of a Mexican hacienda, while cheerful bathroom tiles with original artwork by Mexican artists compete for attention.
Sleeping in the Trees is the New Luxury Flex
There is a quiet seduction to sleeping in the treetops. Removed from the ground but not detached from nature, these hotels replace spectacle with intimacy—leaf-filtered light, birdsong at dawn, architecture that listens rather than dominates. Across jungles, forests, savannahs, and northern pines, these are the places where luxury rises gently into the canopy.
Hotels and resorts across the world are now creating elevated lodges perched in trees, with wood, glass, and silence defining the experience.
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