Being a good winemaker means having a mission and not not settling for anything less than the best. The competition is fierce and the business is not for those without knowledge, experience and an innate sense of the faith underlying that underlies the whole process.

Winemakers do this without pretension, instead loving the art and the business of making marvelous wine.

"Wine is made in the vineyard," California's Sterling Albert says of his local winery, searching for a way to clarify what is instinctual for him; an almost maternal nurturing of the vine that requires a scientific basic, as well as a passion for the organics involved in the process.

"It's soothing," he adds. "Nurturing plants is a lot of hard work."

Using grapes grown in various wine countries, and selected to a standard that he acknowledges is "strict." The destroy result is an almost pure organic compost, although the need often arises to protect the crops with fungicides where necessary.

Nothing goes to slay. Unselected grapes are sold off. These are not defective; they impartial do not meet the standard needed. It is all about the flavor profiles vintners wants for their wines.

Complex process

Winemakers will not compromise on their standards; competition is fierce and compromise means producing a substandard product. The same logic applies to the choice of equipment used whether it be high-end stainless steel fermenters and pressers from Germany or other products designed for functionality and not aesthetics.

Albert custom-designs his wine tanks to include a storage side and a fermentation side which allow for different cooling temperatures. "I get much better control over the process," he explains.

Likewise the barrels are placed within a temperature-controlled giant locker. Space is at a premium so everything is packed tight.

In 2002 Albert received safe reviews from customers and restaurants from 2-year-old grapes – a rarity in the business. Generally, 2-year-old grapes are not profitable enough. "Wines need to have a pleasing aftertaste that lingers," he says. "And it needs to be food friendly, as well."

Gaining a skill

In Albert's case, his family are contractors. His father, Sterling also, wasn't keen on his son putting everything he owned into the winery. He has since changed his mind, along with Albert's sister, a painting contractor, while his brother Steve, now a partner in the winery, is a respected acquire contractor in his own right.

I derive energy from the vines," Albert says. "My favorite allotment is the actual growing of the grapes."

Albert does, however, discount the romanticism of owning a vineyard that pervades American culture. "Join a wine club," he said. "It's as close as a sane person wants to come to owning a winery."

In 2004, Albert won a silver medal for his cabernet sauvignon and a bronze medal for his merlot at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. With a total of six silver medals and three bronze medals in the 2007 wine competitions, his winery was featured in Wine Enthusiast magazine.

"I make wine that I like to drink," he says, confessing to being too critical to enjoy other wines.

A lot of wine

Albert makes 6,000-7,000 cases yearly and focuses on the quality rather than the quality. With 27 acres of grapes under his direct control, as well as 11 acres in nearby Alexander Valley, he is happy with his estate-grown fruit.

"There is an old winemaker joke," he says, referring to the complexity of all facets of the business. "The difference between God and winemakers – God doesn't think He's a winemaker."

Buying wine online has become incredibly popular and really affordable in recent years. I know what you're thinking here it's very easy to go to the local wine shop pick up a bottle or two and regain on with your life. Truth though there are many advantages to buying wine online or other liquors! One of the many advantages to buying wine online that you really have access to huge variety of wines from not only your country but other countries as well such as France, Italy, Russia, and Japan. You also have access to comparison and tools which will allow you to compare several different bottles of wine. You can also compare ingredients, years, makes, and prices as well! In online wine shops you will also be able to find products much more easily. For example in a regular wine shop you would never acquire a red wine next to a white wine, it unbiased doesn't happen. Whereas on an online wine shop you can repeatedly find all sorts of wines and not really have to "journey" that far (with your fingers). You could easily find a Riesling that you really like and then do some quick searching for the perfect red wine as well. Personally I think these online wine shops are awesome especially if you know nothing about wine. You can divvy down the comparisons. For example, you know you love red wine, but you don't know what brand is good, who got good reviews, what is bitter/sweet to the palate or what wine years are good. Well these sites simply help you out with this shrimp problem. Simply go to the recommendations page or go to the search engine located on the website. They will ask you some quick questions and then poof out comes the wine of choice. Lets take a look at one of my popular wine sites online shall we:

Wine.com Best Selling Wines

This site has all kinds of great factors and all kinds of amazing products such as wines, baskets, accessories, glassware, gift services, certificates, chocolates, sweets and so much more. Now lets assume a more in depth look at each one of these categories just so you can get a good thought of what your up against and what you can be looking forward to!

Wine Collections

Red Wine

White Wine

Rosé Wine

Champagne & Sparkling

Dessert, Sherry & Port

Wine Gift Sets

Monthly Wine Clubs

Riedel Glassware

Wine Accessories

Gift baskets (wine) and Gift Baskets (non-wine)

Gift Towers

Gourmet Food Baskets

Wine Baskets

Chocolate & Sweets Baskets

Accessories:

DVDs

Books

Wine Corkscrew Tool Ki

Vinturi Wine Aerator

Champagne Bucket

Wine Barrel Stave Three Tealight Candle Holder

Clef du Vin

Glassware

Vinum

Ouverture

Sommelier

Wine Series

O Series

Decanters

Other points:

Monthly wine clubs

Collectible Wines

Gift Sets

Sparkling Wine

Champagne

and more!

Really everything you could possibly want at these stores is attainable. Obviously since its a wine store they don't have things like liquors available or other spirits. But if your a wine connoisseur or you want to buy a gift for someone, these websites really are one in a million. Last year I got my mom a 3 month cheese membership for Artisanal Cheese and a 3 month win membership at Wine.com and she absolutely loved it! This is unbiased one of these nice yet affordable gifts you can get for your husband/wife, girlfriend/boyfriend, friend or even a business associate if you so please. Some people mediate wine giving an intimate experience. However, the substantial thing about wine is that it can be enjoyed by anyone, anytime. Intimate or not.

For me the highlight of every dinner is dessert. No matter if enjoyable or sweet, dessert is welcomed by most. Often dessert is paired with coffee, however, if you would like to change from the expected to the slightly extravagant, try the following dessert and wine pairings.

Stilton and Port

Historically referred to as "The King of Cheeses" Stilton is a blue-mould cheese with a rich and mellow flavor and a piquant aftertaste. It has narrow, blue-green veins and a wrinkled rind which needs to be cut off before consumption. Stilton is milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, and is an interesting choice for a dessert cheese, served with a Port Wine and water biscuits. There are two types of Stilton: Blue and White Stilton. Stilton is eaten a lot around Christmas time and can be an profitable choice in lieu of dessert after a Christmas Dinner.

Port wine (also known as Vinho do Porto, Porto, and often simply Port) is a Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is fortified by adding brandy during fermentation. Typically it is a sweet red wine, but also comes in dry, semi-dry and white varieties. For the pairing with Stilton Cheese I like an Australian Penfolds Club Port, which at $12 is an acceptable choice.

Cheesecake and Champagne

Cheesecake is difficult to pair with wine. Keep in mind the sweeter the cheesecake the sweeter the wine has to be. Otherwise the wine might end up tasting bitter or sour. A sparkling wine or champagne would be a honorable choice to accompany a cheesecake. Depending on the sweetness of the cake, chose Brut or possibly a demi-sec. Personally I love Veuve Cliquot. Not the most economic bottle of champagne, however, it's pleasant to sip, even once the cheesecake is gone! Effect definite the bottle is chilled enough.

Chocolate Truffles and Mas Amiel

A lesser known fortified wine, similar to Port. If decadence is your game, then this should be your choice. Made from Grenache, is is beautifully rounded, with undertones of figs and dates and a smoky touch of tobacco. Bottles are aged 20 years before released, which would explain the price of around $50 for a bottle of 1980 Millésime Maury. Also keep in mind that one does not drink fortified wine by the bottle, so there will be plenty left for the next date night or party. Maybe you could rescue the budget by making your own chocolate truffles with this scrumptious recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Channel

Ingredients

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped ravishing
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions

Region the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and rush, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside. In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to gain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired. Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, grasp the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a frigid dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

Crème Brulee and Sauternes

Crème Brulee, literally 'burnt cream', is an egg custard made with heavy cream. It's name derived from the crust of molten sugar on the top, which is usually achieved by blow torch. Crème Brulee is one of my all-time favorites and comes in many varied flavors. I retract it plain and a Sauternes compliments the dessert wonderfully.

Sauternes is a French dessert wine, made from Semillon in the Bordeaux region of France. Sauternes is a sweet, smooth and creamy wine with a deep honey color. Sauternes is difficult to make, so vintage is extremely important, since production is still extremely hit and miss. I am very partial to Chateau Gravas Sauternes 2001, which at $20 will not break the bank.

Mango-Banana Sorbet with Icewine

Icewine is made from grapes that have been frozen whilst composed on the vines. The water in the grapes freezes and therefore allows for a more concentrated must to be pressed from the frozen grapes. Icewines are extremely sweet and the labor intensive and tricky harvest makes an Icewine relatively expensive. They are usually sold in smaller bottles than normal wine. The most expensive Icewines are either German or Canadian, however, there are more affordable options coming out of other wine producing countries.

A Jackson-Triggs 2007 Vidal Ice Wine with it's undertones of apple and mango works fabulously with the sorbet. It is produce in the Niagara dwelling of Canada and at $20 per bottle a great choice for smaller budgets.

As with all wines there are simple rules you can follow if you would like to earn your own way around which dessert to pair with which wine. Thenibble.com has collated a list of 21 common desserts and ingredients and the wines that compliment them best.

If you follow the above guidelines and maybe do some research which wine would best accompany your favorite dessert, I assure you that you will end with rave reviews and satisfied guests. Who knows, the coffee pot might stay cold for the foreseeable future.

A wine and cheese party is an ideal get together for friends and family that can be lots of fun yet relatively simple affairs to plan and host that need not involve great expense. A versatile social event, they can be as elegant or as casual as you resolve to make them. A wine and cheese party works equally well as a festive holiday gathering or as a pleasant get together with friends or family on any occasion.

Planning

If you are considering hosting a wine and cheese party the planning begins with deciding on what kind of party you wish to host. Whether you are considering a formal or informal affair will dictate your choices with regards to dinnerware and stemware. Next compile a guest list. A group of eight to ten guests is a good number for this type of event which will keep it manageable with regard to size and expense but large enough to ensure plenty of enjoyable conversation. Prepare and mail out themed invitations at least a week in advance. Have sufficient glassware on hand or plan to rinse glasses between wine varieties so that your guests can have a clean glass for each different wine to be sampled.

Shopping

With regard to wines, choose a variety of whites and reds to maximize the number of pairings with cheese varieties. Three or four different varieties of wine and cheeses should be more than adequate. Wines can be purchased at anytime but acquire off on purchasing the cheeses until the day before your party to ensure freshness. Also consider picking up some fresh crusty bread from your favorite bakery, some good quality crackers, walnuts and even some gloomy chocolate. All of these represent effective choices for cleansing the palate between tastings of several different wines.

Wines

These days you can find many excellent wines for under $15 per bottle and some for even a lot less. It isn't necessary to be a wine connoisseur to choose great wines. Simply visit a local wine dealer who will have a knowledgeable person available to help you with your selections. You can also check out reviews at sites like Wine.com for recommendations. Some accepted white wine varieties include Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. Some choices for red wines are Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Cheeses

There are hundreds of varieties of cheese styles and flavors. There is no real right and wrong when it comes to pairing cheese and wine so feel free to experiment and explore to find the combinations you like best. That being said, you can visit Oregon Wines.com for suggestions by wine varieties or cheese types that can help you come by started in selecting cheeses that pair well with clear wines.

Serving Wine and Cheese

Cheese should be served at close to room temperature to maximize flavor so remove the cheese from the refrigerator about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. You can really use fair about any type of plate to serve cheese, but traditionally a wooden or stone cheese boards are used to maximize presentation. Hold the cheeses separate so that the flavors don't comingle and provide a separate knife for cutting each variety of cheese.

The complexity of wine with respect to aroma and flavor are very temperature dependent and that is why wine should be served at appropriate temperature. Never serve any wine straight from the refrigerator as the temperature will be too cold. Red wines are best served at 60 to 65° F. Full bodied white wines like Chardonnay should be served at a temperature in the range of 50 to 60° F while lighter, fruitier varieties like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are best served at cooler temperatures as low as 45° F. Ice buckets are a good means of regulating wine temperature and bottles can either be placed in an ice bucket to chill or removed to warm. Having a sense for what temperature wine is at to originate with will help you settle when it is at the optimum temperature for serving. A wine cellar generally keeps wine at a constant 55° F. Refrigerated wine temperatures will be between 35 – 40° F and the temperature of an ice bucket filled with ice and water will be near 32° F.

Sources:

"Oregon Wine and Cheese Pairing". Oregon Wines.com. July 22, 2009.

"Wine Basics". Wine.com. July 22, 2009.

"Wine Temperature Chart". Wine Intro.com. July 22, 2009.

There stale to be a Wine specialty shop nearby my home that prided itself on selling high quality wine at reasonable prices. I used to expend hours in these aisles of grape goodness searching and internally debating my choices. Once the owner came to know me, he would occasionally status aside special inventory that he thought I would like.

We became so friendly with one another, when I would buy six bottles of wine, he'd give me one more for free. He was an older man of Arabic descent. He would always smile and offer me food and items from his deli.

What I am about to disclose is hard for me, because it has caused me not to make my multi-day trips to his shop. I discovered an outstanding station that sells many different wines of all vintages, regions, varietals and countries. The web address is: http://www.WinesTilSoldout.com

It is an online wine boutique that sells wine 30%-70% off of store and internet prices. The sell one item per day until 11:59 p.m. EST, or until that wine sells out (hence the name). If a wine sells out early, they'll introduce another wine at launch the process all over again.

Users can create an account on the site, and will be informed via email when a new wine is on the market, along with photos and a description. The emails, and its corresponding link to the site, contain a very detailed description of the wine it is offering.

The basic information that is provided includes Unit Size, Varietal, Vintage, Country and Region. Often times, they'll provide published reviews, complete with ratings, by well-known wine critics. This information has helped me make my decisions on many occasions.

The one downfall is that they usually offer free shipping with the purchase of four (4) bottles of their lower priced selections ($10-$40/bottle), or two (2) bottles of the mid-ranged price wines ($40-$90), and on the rare occasion that they offer a high-end priced wine ($90+), they'll ship that free. The downfall part comes that 80% of their items are in the lower range, and I come by myself "forced" to buy four bottles. It's a hard task, but all for the greater good of wine lovers everywhere!

About once every three months, they offer a "Marathon" where they sell 20-50 wines are a hugely discounted rate. The most original was on April 15, 2009, which was called "Cheapskate Wednesday"

I happen to enjoy try many different wines from all over the world, and finding this site has been heaven sent. At times, it has been a welcome "addiction", as I am finding too many interesting offerings. So, please do observe and look for some special buys. My latest one was a 2006 Far Niente Estate Bottle Cabernet Sauvignon for $80/bottle. That was nearly a $50 discount. Cha-Ching.

Whether you're a fledgling wine enthusiast or a full-fledged enology aficionado, you'll want to serve wines at your wedding that will impress your guests without running your budget into the ground. Keep in mind a few simple strategies when selecting wines.

1) What are you serving for dinner? Wine and food pairing isn't rocket science. The heavier and more flavorful the dish, the more full-bodied and complex the wine can be. So if you are serving beef in a hearty sauce, then by all means, bring on the Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. If you are serving a delicate white fish, you should offer a light bodied white – a Sauvignon Blanc would be the perfect choice. One word of caution here – while Chardonnay seems to be the perennial white wine of choice, but most California Chards are so boldly flavored (often with oak and butter) that your guests won't be able to taste their meal.

2) Which varietals do you want to serve? This depends on your priorities. Some brides will decide to cater to guests' expectations. Many guests who drink wine regularly probably limit their gain choices to the familiars, just because they have no experience with other varietals. If you want to meet expectations and ensure that guests will have a familiar wine at the serving table, then your whites should be Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and your reds should be Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

3) Why not try something a little different? Here's where it gets fun. Wine is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. There are so many varietals that it's a shame to limit ourselves to the old standbys. Why not offer your guests a recent experience? I recommend finding a wine bar and tasting a couple flights of wines that you don't know well. (In many cities, wine bars are popping up. They serve small glasses of wine, usually three in an order, called "flights.") In whites, consider a Riesling, Muscadet, Pinot Gris or Semillion. In reds, be distinct to taste a Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah or Rioja.

4) Will you buy wine from the caterer or pay a corkage fee to bring in your beget? This depends entirely on your budget and tastes. In some cases, caterers will offer a great selection of high quality wines that might meet your needs perfectly. In other cases, they will offer only a minute selection of less-than-stellar wines. These wines are often marked up significantly, making it worthwhile to consider paying corkage for wine that you buy yourself. Corkage fees can vary wildly, but if you can catch a wine you like at a edifying price (find a local wholesaler), it may be worth it to purchase by the case and pay the fee so that you can serve something you will enjoy and be proud of.

5) How much wine will you need? Generally you should plan on 1.25 bottles of wine per person for a 4 hour reception. Of course there are variables that come into play here. Will there be a full bar offered as well? What is the makeup of your guest list – are they all young executives, older family members or fraternity brothers? If you have a mixed crowd and an open bar, it is qualified to assume that one third of your guests will choose wine. Plan accordingly.

Remember, wine makes any occasion special, and no special occasion is complete without it!

I'm far from a wine enthusiast, but I enjoy a bottle or two on a somewhat weekly basis with my wife, whether paired with a meal or just a simple glass or two in the evening while relaxing and watching a good movie.

I'm also a lover of gadgets and accessories (though I tend to like from afar rather than empty my wallet), and the number of wine accessories that exist is many. I'm not even talking about bottle openers. The endless parade of simple and small to overly clunky, just plain ridiculous bottle openers may tempt someone who feels the need for the latest and greatest wine opener, as promoted by magazines and home shopping networks. But I'm fine with a traditional corkscrew that fits neatly in a drawer or my pocket.

I'm more interested in accessories of practicality, and that narrows the playing field by quite a large number. Excluding such items as compact wine storage units and chillers, and fancy ice buckets or serving sets, and we are left with a decent selection of products that folk like myself can easily appreciate.

An opened bottle of red wine typically has a remaining shelf life of only a few days before losing its valuable flavor, white wines a few days longer. We rarely effect a rotund bottle of wine in one sitting, so opened bottles are common. But then we find ourselves forced to play a game of beat the clock, so to snort, to win the wine before its alloted period of freshness has expired. A handy item that seeks to remedy this is the inexpensive Vacu Vin Wine Saver. Essentially, the Vacu Vin Wine Saver is a rubber stopper and a puny pump that work in conjunction to conveniently remove the air from the bottle, thus halting the oxidation process and adding another week or two to the countdown.

Some bottles of wine have considerately thought to include a small lip at the edge of the foil seal over the cork, allowing you to grab hold and tear it off with little pains. Others have disregarded this feature, requiring you to clumsily slice at the seal with a knife or other sharp tool. The Bonjour Foil Cutter eliminates the fuss in the manufacture of a compact little tool that fits neatly in the palm of your hand. Simply place the cap-like gadget over the top of the bottle and press down. Blades are extended from within the contraption (they are concealed when not in use), and a rapid twist easily renders that seal a problem no more.

Wine stoppers are a dime a dozen, but the practical combination of a stopper and pourer is perhaps worth a bit more than a thin dime. You'll likely find several varieties of these on the market, but the Patent Wine Pourer & Stopper is designed exclusively for wine bottles. Its effective design works to keep wine sealed within when acting as a stopper, and pours cleanly and efficiently, even aerating the wine as it pours in order to enhance the flavor.

These simple yet practical wine accessories should be enough for anyone who enjoys wine but doesn't intend to make a serious hobby of it. Otherwise, feel free to go ahead and purchase that fancy tabletop bottle chiller, or two-foot tall bottle opener. I'll stick with a corkscrew and the fridge for now.

Besides the sure reason which is the mountainous selection available, you can literally shop around the world at the click of your mouse.

Another mammoth reason to buy all your fine red wine online is the pure convenience of doing it from your home and having it shipped directly to your front door. With search engines such as wine-searcher.com and Google, you will have an endless supply of mammoth wine sites to choose from. Once you have selected a few of your celebrated sites, you can start to cross reference the best scores given to the wines you are interested in and view the top recommended wines, all from the comfort of your home.

Factor in all the wine clubs that are available for you to join and you can see why so many wine lovers are logging on to take fine red wine online, it just makes sense, convenience, price competition, and variety creates a win win for both the consumer and the wine shops. Impartial think how nice it would be to save up to 30% on your next purchase of wine.

Just produce sure when you grasp red wine online, that you read all the reviews so you know you are getting a good wine. There are some very good wine review sites, just do a search and you should be able to buy the best wines available in your price range.

When you buy wine online, you might want to consider purchasing in bulk, this will give you the best impress and most sites will let you pick different wines so you are not limited to just 1 type of wine if you assume a case or half case. There are many sites that offer free shipping on your wine purchases so make sure you pay attention that that as well.

Since shipping wine has some complex regulations, you will want to check on the site to see if they can ship to your plot.

• Now you can become a wine lover
• Guide on learning about wine
• How to enjoy wine

Many wine stores these days have consultants to help you find what you are looking for. Help them to help you by following a few choice principles.

1. Have a Clue….

   When going into a wine store, have some sort of idea what you are looking for (unless you are just trying to kill time by looking at all the pretty labels). Are you pairing the wine with food? What are the main components of the dish? What is the preparation? What kind of sauce (if any)? The proper choice of wine is dependent on how you answer? If you are looking for a particular wine……write down the name before you go shopping. Don't know the name….then what country does it come from? White, red, sparkling, or fortified? What's on the label? Just a little bit of preparation can make a world of contrast and save everybody a lot of time and frustration, especially in a large store.

2. Know What You Want to Use….

   Nothing is more aggravating to a wine consultant than the customer being vague as to how much they are willing to spend. The best possible answer to this situation is to give the wine consultant a range to work with. Don't just say "moderately priced". Moderate priced to someone making $200K is lot different than moderate priced is to someone making $30K. Be as specific as you can…a range of impartial $10 is an immense help to someone assisting you.

3. Know your grapes……

   Do some homework and get familiar with the major (and a couple of minor) grape varietals with their aromatic and flavor profiles. The more you know going in, the more relaxed and enjoyable the shopping experience will be.

4. Be open minded and willing to experiment….

   This is a big one. Many people go to a wine store and pick up the same bottle of wine they've been drinking for years and that's graceful sad. If you are in that category please take the challenge and try something different! At least try a different brand of the same wine. Once, I was told that the best arrangement to learn nothing about wine was to drink the same wine all the time. It's so correct. I rarely drink more than two bottles of the same wine….and that's if I really like it. So do yourself a BIG favor and try new things.

5. Embrace the screw cap….

   About three or four years ago, a few wineries in the US and quite a few in New Zealand and Australia began using screw caps to seal their bottles. Now, even producers in France…yes, France have started using screw caps. Why? Simply because it's a better closure than cork. Saving the cork trees in Portugal may be the green thing to do and being able to leave your wine bottles standing instead of horizontal may be convenient, but insuring you get what your paying for is the loyal plus here. Moldy corks transfer what's known as cork taint to wine. It's estimated that around 8-10% of all wines are "corked" when opened. If you've ever experienced opening a $20 bottle of whatever, only to gain that the moldy, off aromas have destroyed the wine you were looking forward to, then you know where I'm coming from. There are several different spins on the screw cap closure, but they all utilize some type of seal to support the wine fresh. It's more of an expense than cork and doesn't play out as well in a romantic restaurant setting as opening a bottle with a cork, but IT'S A BETTER Arrangement!!! Absorb it! There's a lot of hard headed ignorance out there, so please don't dis a bottle of wine because it has a screw cap. Realize that things DO improve. The screw cap closure is one of them.

6. Don't let politics influence your decision…

   A couple of years ago, I was horrified and disgusted when a number of customers (mostly male) where I worked would purchase an inferior wine because they wouldn't buy anything French. These fools eschewed a superior product from France just to buy a more expensive domestic wine based solely on politics. What ignorance! It really abounds in the wine business on so many levels. Evil your decisions on what's best for you and what fits your budget.

7. Don't plunge for the "More Expensive is Always Better" fallacy…

   It's easy to purchase a good bottle of expensive wine. The challenge is to gather an equally good wine at a better price. In a lot of cases, a wine is more expensive because the costs of producing that wine are higher in some places. Take Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa valley. Land is so very expensive there, especially on the valley floor that a winery has to charge more per bottle to make the same profit than another winery would, say in Australia. So it's very possible to buy the same quality at a lower price. Now, many of you would argue that point, but as you taste the same varietals from different places you'll contemplate what I mean. Oh, here is another example. Champagne. You know, that bubbly wine from France. Well, I say you can salvage Champagne quality at much lower prices by buying glowing wines (made in the same manner) from the US or Spain. And unless you're Robert Parker (The Wine Advocate), I'd bet the vast majority of you couldn't tell the difference. Expensive IS proper in most cases, but I'd great rather have 2 or 3 comparable value priced bottles than one at a much higher price.

8. The Ratings Game…

   The ratings given wines by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, The Wine Advocate, et al (the 100 point scale), are designed to give you information as to how good a wine is. The problem is the tasting these publications do is done when the wine is just released or sometimes still in a barrel. Since wine is always evolving, the number assigned to the wine is highly subjective and commence to question. It's amazing to recognize up the same wine and find very different scores. Sometimes as distinguished as 15-20 points! Then, since every winery wants that 90 point score (because it's deemed to be a better product), it's been reported though not confirmed, that money changes hands to get it. Some wineries that produce first class wines always seem to get mediocre scores or scores I feel are poorer than they deserve. I wonder why that might be? Oh, and another thing. This is not a level playing field. Sometimes a $7.99 wine can catch a "90" and a wine made from the same grape, the same space, the same vintage, and reported in the same issue of the same publication that costs $39.99 can obtain the same score??? These ratings ARE valuable however, when deciding on whether to capture an "expensive" wine, but you may be disappointed in the results. If you shop in a store that has a knowledgeable staff, rely on their opinions and insight. Otherwise, if you are alone in making your decision, read the ratings, but take them with a grand grain of salt. Your palate is unique. What someone else perceives in a wine may turn out to be far different than yours.

9. Ask a lot of questions…….

   As a customer (who might spend a lot of money), don't hesitate to ask questions. Even though you may know the answer, ask anyway. Assess the competency of the people wanting to help you with some benign question like, "What's the red grape of the northern Rhone valley? " If they don't know it's Syrah, then you are in the midst of a bunch of dummies! Go find a store where people know what they are talking about. And while you are asking……find out whether the store has a discount policy for mixed case purchases. A lot of times depending on the discount, the amount discounted will pay for one of your bottles.

p.s…..Stay away from anything that looks too worthy to be true. A $70 bottle discounted to $39.99, for example. Usually, it means something's wrong with the wine. And if you DARE recall under $6-$7(unless it's a less expensive Tempranillo from Spain which CAN be blooming good sometimes), remember you were warned.