Category: Delicious

'Whether you are an experienced wine lover or a relative newcomer to the joys of the grape, there are many fun ways to improve your knowledge of wine. The best part? They all involve tasting.'

'How fortunate there are ever more California winemakers working toward the same goal. These blends are meant to enjoy in the moment, though some have longer-term potential. They have the added bonus of getting folks out of their varietal comfort zones.'

'During the holidays, my Italian-American relatives have treated me to many plates of pasta, lasagna, sausages, broccoli rabe, eggplant parmigiano, and so forth. As the designated wine expert in the family, I invariably provide the wine, and it's invariably Italian red.'

'I'm pretty sure most people reading this feature will not recognise the name Gruppo Italiano Vini, or 'GIV'. GIV is without doubt the biggest wine company in Italy that nobody has ever heard of. Indeed, it is the biggest wine company in Italy full stop.'

'Winning wines from the 2009 show were announced in 17 categories, selected from more than 1100 wines.'

'The answer is a highly subjective, according to both the wine and the drinker. Generally, dry white wines have the shortest life once opened.'

'While American rieslings are not yet consistently good, they are improving. They offer a lot to like right now, and it seems clear that the best is yet to come.'

'Anyone who believes that a bottle of wine retailing for $10 or less isn't worth drinking has a lesson to learn. There are a lot of wines in that price category that deserve attention. Will they rock your world? No. But there are nice, well-made reds and whites that are easy to drink and easy on your budget. My favorites tend to come from Washington State and Australia.'

'In a world where it seems as though every wine region is striving to join the international scene, Portugal is doing its own thing. Long known for its excellent Port wines, Portugal has lately been attracting attention for its attractive red table wines, made mainly from native grapes.'

"I thought they were fabulous wines, interesting and a little off the beaten path," he said. "People don't think Canada and white and red wines so we're trying to push the envelope."

'Champagne houses admit that they are sitting on a glut of a whopping 1.2 billion bottles, with no buyers on the horizon, so my hunch is that en route to the new year there are going to be some epic cut-price deals.'