Sheila Marikar

Jan 20, 2025 | newyorker.com | Sheila Marikar

On most weekday afternoons, U.S. Route 101, which slices through the city of Los Angeles, thrums with traffic, brake lights blinking like those on a Christmas tree. Several days ago, as wildfires ravaged the city and the surrounding county, a haze of smoke filtered the sun like a silk scarf over a lamp. It was eerily smooth sailing from Silver Lake to Exit 9B, Hollywood and Highland, near Runyon Canyon Park.

Dec 21, 2024 | travelandleisure.com | Sheila Marikar

Montecito has long been known as a sanctuary for the rich and first-name-only famous: Oprah, Ellen, Harry and Meghan. But lately, with the arrival of restaurants and boutiques worth traveling for—plus facelifts to some of southern California’s most storied hotels — this exclusive town feels like the Golden State’s hottest getaway. On the north end is San Ysidro Ranch, which is spread across 550 lush acres.

Dec 9, 2024 | newwinereview.com | Sarah Parker Jang |Jason Wilson |Sheila Marikar

Sweet wines—or dessert wines, or whatever you want to call wines with serious residual sugar—are a little bit like panettone, the classic Italian sweet bread/fruitcake that makes its appearance this time of the year. Panettone is great. We like panettone. We really do. But we really only want to eat panettone roughly once a year. If we’re being honest, we feel similarly about sweet wines.

Dec 7, 2024 | newwinereview.com | Sheila Marikar |Clara Dalzell |Jason Wilson

Here’s what’s happening on the wine internet this week:🎥  Hollywood somms on holiday drinking and gifting. 🧐  The world’s best Cognacs. 👏  96% of all vineyard land in Beaujolais is dedicated to Gamay. Here are 13 of the most interesting bottles (made by women!) that come from all those grapes. 2️⃣  “Aligoté is forever consigned to being Burgundy’s ’second’ white grape.” That’s led to a new generation of winemakers who are now working with it in fascinating and adventurous ways.

Dec 5, 2024 | newwinereview.com | Sheila Marikar |Clara Dalzell |Jason Wilson |Susannah Skiver Barton

You could call Sonoma Napa’s best kept secret. Separated from its more famous sister by the Mayacamas mountain range, the Sonoma Valley offers world-class hotels, restaurants, and wine—the main reason you’re here, presumably—without the pomp and circumstance that reigns in certain parts of the more rarified valley to the east. Sonoma’s less crowded. Sonoma is often cheaper. Sonoma is home to a Snoopy-bedecked airport so charming and convenient, it ought to win an award.