The words never stop coming, and keeping up with everything I want to is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are often too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.

Much has been written about Michel Rolland, who passed away on March 20. He was 78. Many loved him and the wines he made, and many detested the wines he made, calling them formulaic and, among other things, saying they taste of nowhere and everywhere. I have both liked and disliked his creations; a 2001 Harlan Estate Bordeaux blend I tasted was sublime on the day with the meal (duck and potates roasted in duck fat). No matter your take on Rolland and his philosphy and methodology, he led a fine life, and his influence is profound. Many outlets published his obituary, among them The New York Times, The Times, Wine Spectator, and Decanter. Rest in peace, M. Rolland.

Michel Rolland grew up in a wine family and went on to have a huge impact on the industry. (Bálint Pörneczi)

France and Italy are joining forces in a woman-powered venture: Chiara Pepe, who runs Emidio Pepe, her family’s Abruzzo estate, is taking over viticulture and winemaking duties at Paul Jaboulet Aîné, which is helmed by Delphine Frey. Pepe succeeds Caroline Frey, who, citing illness and a plan to focus on her vineyards in the Valais, stepped down in 2025.

Chiara Pepe has a new assignment in France. (Emidio Pepe)

Wither wine clubs? Jess Lander takes a look at the scene amid lethargic growth rates and a sense of same-same malaise. One example of doing things differently? Ashes & Diamonds’ A&D Traveler program. (If you are a member of a wine club, or clubs, write and let me know what you like or dislike about it/them.)

Fascination with Dionysus and the myths and stories surrounding him is something I share with many, among them Carravagio and Cy Twombly. Stuart Walton has written a fine piece about the god for World of Fine Wine; read it here.

Sickly, jaundiced, dissipated: Caravaggio’s self-portrait (1593-4) is a discomfiting sight to behold. (Borghese Gallery, Rome)

It’s a 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and it was purchased for $812,500 this weekend, setting a record for the most expensive wine sold at auction. The vintage marked the final one before phylloxera hit Europe. The bottle came from the cellar of Burgundy luminary Robert Drouhin. That’s some expensive and historic juice.

Alexander Kluge was a towering public intellectual and prolific author and filmmaker. (Thomas Dashuber/laif)

I’m not sure if Alexander Kluge ever had the pleasure of drinking DRC, but I hope he did. The German film director, author, and founder of a television production company died last week at 94. His “Yesterday Girl,” from 1966, is among my favorite films and was prominent in my early studies of German cinema. Here isA.J. Goldman’s obituary of Kluge.

Another German giant passed away recently. Jürgen Habermas was 96, and was perhaps the country’s foremost (and most influential) postwar thinker. Many words have been written about the man and his work since he died earlier this month, including Nancy Fraser’s piece on how Habermas influenced her studies and Mark Dooley’s essay on the philosopher’s “greatest legacy.”

Muriel Spark was a fine writer, and she lived a life full of conflict, mental illness, and drama. Her letters (volume 1) are out, and that is a good reason to also read “Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel.” Here’s a look at both books.