Conquering the cork has been a big frustration for wine drinkers, especially when you don’t have a corkscrew handy. Creative inventors have used air, levers, metal strips and screws to plow through to the juice, but when faced with all these choices, what’s an overwhelmed wino to do? Experiment. ... Read More »

These days, the wine world finds two competing factions in the ring. In one corner, wearing plaid pants and a staid necktie is the Old World (France, Spain, Germany, Italy); in the opposite corner, wearing DKNY and body jewelry in an unspeakable place is the New World (U.S., Australia, South America, ... Read More »

Skanky wine is truly a buzzkill. There’s nothing worse than anticipating a delicate, fruity flavor experience, then being hit in the nose with a foul smell. Yes, it happens. Really “corked” wine — musty, moldy smelling wine occurring after contact with a bad cork — is ... Read More »

Remember playing with bubbles as a kid? Bubble bath, bubble gum, blowing bubbles? We thought nothing of enjoying those bubbles on a daily basis, so why do we save sparkling wine bubbles for “special occasions?” Sparkling wine, the generic term for wines that have fizz in them, can make ... Read More »

Wouldn’t life be a dream without corkscrews? If all of the sudden, wineries switched to screwcaps, the wrist-wrenching cork pulling process would disappear. Opening wine would be as easy as unsealing a jug of MD 20/20. How novel.And this might happen since the supply of cork is dwindling. Even ... Read More »

Juicy, tender, white meat turkey; tangy, acidic cranberry fruit explosion; warm, cornbread stuffing bathed in salty giblet gravy. Mmmm, all these flavors equal sheer, home-cooked Thanksgiving bliss, but the same comforting flavors wage war with wine. What to drink when so many flavors are mingling ... Read More »

Nowadays, airline travel is a pain. As I’m herded through the cattle line into coach class, I glare greedily at the smug “Platinum” or “Elite” passengers clutching their glasses of free liquor. When the chosen liquor is wine, my curiosity naturally gets piqued. But then ... Read More »

Look out France, California and South America — here comes competition. These days, virtually every country with a square inch of healthy soil produces and exports wine. Wines from different areas infuse new energy and innovation into an otherwise complacent industry. Bringing these new guys ... Read More »

I often hanker for a hunka cheese. Something about that creamy, protein-enriched stuff converts me over to cheese worship. So it’s perfect that my two favorite consumables are a match made in heaven: wine and cheese. Although stringent food and wine pairings are not my bag, it’s what readers ... Read More »

When I first heard the word “Languedoc” (lahn-GWEH-dock), my thoughts were sucked into the gutter of Deep Throat. Something about its vague reference to the tongue made my mind dance with impure thoughts, especially when associated with wine. But Languedoc is far from a porno flick; it’s ... Read More »

In Cyberspace, anything goes. There’s a whole helluva lot of useless info on wine. But since there’s no SAT test or wine certification required to put up a wine Web site, sifting through the morons and blowhards is no easy task. But not an insurmountable one. The following is a list of ... Read More »