ALEXIS BESPALOFF, 1934-2006

A celebrated wine critic and writer, Alexis Jacques Bespaloff died April 22 in Las Cruces, New Mexico after a long battle with cancer at the age of 71. Alexis was born on November 15, 1934 in Bucharest, Romania and eventually moved to the U.S. where he attended the Horace Mann School, Amherst College and Harvard University. After getting involved in the wine business, Alexis became one of the most important critics of his generation and published six books, including The Signet Book of Wine. He was also a wine critic of New York Magazine for over 20 years and wrote for Wine Enthusiasts, Food & Wine, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Travel & Leisure. Mr. Bespaloff is survived by his wife, photographer Cecilia Lewis and will be sorely missed in the industry.