The Rhinehessen region in Germany’s wine country is a study of contrasts. The vast area is planted to just over 28,000 hecters of wine, dominated not by Riesling, but by Muller Thurgau. Ultimately though, this is Germany, and in Germany Riesling is still king. Groebe, Wittman and Straub wineries all share a common bond in this wine region. The minerality of the soil is a constant expression of the wines produced here and the Rhinehessen wines are clean, minimal wines. They also share a family winemaking history that extends hundreds of years.

The Loire River is one of the most important rivers in France. Over the course of its 650 miles, the Loire River Valley is the longest winegrowing region in the world. The river begins in the mountains of the Ardeche in south-central France, before flowing gently north and then west, flowing out to the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of France. Many of France’s Kings had built chateaux’s along the river earning it the nickname of the Royal valley. In fact, at one point, the Loire Valley was the seat of Royal power in France.

When I taste a finished wine, I am coming to terms with a number of important quality characteristics that inevitably lead me back to the wine’s elevage – its creation in the cellar. When I taste a young wine in the cellar, I am reading the wine’s health and potential – how it will taste the best many months or years in the future. Off-the-clock, I enjoy certain winemaking styles and varieties more than others. But knowing and making wine are two entirely different things. The flashpoint of any decision in the cellar is not when a wine is treated or blended with another, but when the wine reaches the consumer.

When you see references to Spain's Somontano DO, you'll also notice adjectives like "exciting" and "modern." In The Wines of Spain , author Julian Jeffs calls Somontano's wines "some of the best in Spain."

The Rhone valley produces many great wines such as Hermitage and Chateauneuf du Pape . It also produces great value wines such as Cotes du Rhone . Straddling both categories are some very good wines at reasonable prices including wines from the region of Gigondas (pronounced “zhi-gon-dahs”). Often referred to as the poor man’s Chateauneuf du Pape, these wines are very similar to the style of wines of Chateauneuf albeit slightly lesser in quality. The quality on many Gigondas wines has, however, greatly increased over the last decade.

Loudoun County in Virginia is roughly 5,300 miles from Istanbul, Turkey and frankly there are few similarities, if any. But Virginia is where the father and son team of Bora and Kerem Baki set up Hillsborough Winery and Vineyards in 2003. Bora, a native of Turkey, emigrated to the U.S. in 1979 and, since he had family in Virginia, he came here. “I had a cousin here, like every immigrant. I’m very happy I chose this area, because I hate earthquakes,” he says referring to several devastating earthquakes in Istanbul he went through.

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to suggest a great wine to pair with grilled salmon. While pinot noir seemed to rule the roost as a common favorite, chardonnay proved that wine pairing is beholden to the variances of the human palate as we had strong recommendations both for and against chardonnay.

Alentejo is Portugal's largest political region, encompassing about one-third of the country. It's also the least densely populated region in Portugal. About 10 percent of Alentejo is devoted to vineyards. Much of the rest is used for growing cereal grains and olives.

If you take a moment to ponder who deserves the title as Father of Californian wine, a few names may pop into mind. Limiting our scope to recent generations, Robert Mondavi might be the most obvious choice, as he helped to transition Napa Valley from its post-prohibition bulk wine doldrums to its rightful place among the greats of the modern wine producing regions.

“Irish” Cuisine Paired with Winning Wines and Festive Films Let’s talk Ireland and wine. Ireland and wine? The phrase does not roll trippingly off the tongue. Yet after years of being a beer nation, Ireland is birthing more and more inhabitants inexplicably enamored with wine. Total wine sales more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2007. What’s going on?