•For nearly 2,000 people, the opening night of the 43rd Wine Experience was a can’t-miss event. Oct. 17 was the first of two Grand Tastings, kicking off three days of wine, food, seminars and fun at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. This year’s event promised a chance to celebrate during uncertain times, to embrace old friends and make new ones while raising a glass (or many glasses) to the way wine can bring us all together. Wine Spectator has a full report.

•Luxco has announced a new Yellowstone Bourbon gift pack, timed for the holiday season. The pack contains Yellowstone Select, Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Toasted, and Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Rum Cask, all in 375-ml. bottles. The company’s flagship Select Bourbon is bottled at 46.5% abv and blends four- and seven-year-old whiskies. The Special Finishes whiskies are both bottled at 50% abv, with the Rum Cask whiskey receiving a nine-week finishing period. The three-pack is now available across the U.S. for a suggested price of $50. Last year, Yellowstone was at 80,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.