What's an appropriate wine to serve at a Chicago Cubs themed party? What wine would be a good gift for a hard core Cubs fan? When it comes to team loyalty, Chicago Cubs fans have a reputation for true tenaciousness. This loyalty has survived for well over a century, despite the fact that the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908. Few professional sports teams can boast of that kind of devotion from their fans. Cubs fans are equally enthusiastic about their stadium, Wrigley Field. The traditions that surround Wrigley Field and the Cubs bring a legendary feel to every trip to the iconic ballpark. Admittedly, some of the legends and traditions, like the Curse of the Billy Goat – which supposedly began on October 6, 1945, when Murphy the Billy Goat was ejected from his (paid) seat at Wrigley Field, causing the Cubs to lose a seemingly endless succession of playoff series – make even die-hard fans wonder if their Cubbies will ever win a World Series again, but they do add to the fun of attending a Cubs home game.

The Village of Cahors is in the southwestern part of France. The area is known for its red wines made predominantly from the Malbec grape, the same grape that is being used in Argentina to make some of the most popular wines being sold today. For those fans of Malbec, it may prove interesting to go back and try some wines from its homeland.

What's an appropriate wine to serve at a New York Mets themed party? What wine would be a good gift for a hard core Mets fan? Baseball fans love to talk about star players, and many stellar team members have run out onto the baseball diamond in the uniform of the New York Mets. Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Willie Mays and, of course, the legendary Tom Seaver have all worn the Mets' blue and orange. The Mets have had their fair share (and then some) of talented managers, too, including Casey Stengel, the team's first manager, Dallas Green, Yogi Berra and Joe Torre. The team's competitive spirit, particularly when playing against the Philadelphia Phillies or cross-town rival New York Yankees, has sustained it through long, tough years when injuries and disappointments plagued the team, and fired up the players during the Mets' many playoff appearances and two winning World Series. Mets fans, too, have a reputation for loyalty and competitiveness. They don't give up on the "Amazin's," as the Mets are affectionately called.

IntoWine recently caught up with Dragon's Hollow President and Founder, David Henderson to discuss wine and his thoughts on current trends in the wine industry. Why China? The truth of the story is China picked me, I did not necessarily pick China. I originally went to China in the ‘70s to manufacture packaging material for the Chinese as they began to unearth and export Chinese antiquities. I also started a small engineering school to teach distribution and industrial packaging to the newly opening China. While in China in the early 1980’s I constantly heard comments from all the ex-patriots in Beijing complaining about not having access to imported food and wine. So in 1988 I created Montrose Food and Wine and obtained the first direct license to import wines into China. Montrose would eventually represent many famous international wine labels and would also take on the role of teaching people in China how to drink and appreciate wines. I am still a major shareholder in Montrose Food and Wine which remains one of the largest importers and distributors of wine and spirits in China www.MontroseChina.com & Hong Kong www.Montrose.com.hk today. In many articles written about my time in China, writers have called me “the father of the present day Chinese wine industry”.

Every other year, sommeliers and hospitality industry professionals from around the United States gather in New York City to compete for the coveted title of "Best Sommelier in America" in a competition organized by the American Sommelier Association. Andrew Bell, Co-founder and President of the American Sommelier Association, took some time out of his busy pre-competition schedule to discuss wine, the sommelier profession and, of course, the Best Sommelier in America 2011 competition with IntoWine.com. Tell me about the Best Sommelier in America 2011 competition. What happens during this two-day competition? The Best Sommelier in America competition is a biannual event, somewhat of a "muscle exercise" that began in 1998. On Day One, the competitors are tested at an absurd level of knowledge about current affairs, wine laws and historical questions. They are tested on the proper technique for presenting, offering, preparing and serving wines. Then the competition moves on to "What's in the glass?" with blind tasting of wines. Next, they are served a spirit in a black glass and have one minute to identify it by aroma only.

IntoWine recently caught up with Duckhorn Wine Company's Migration winemaker, Neil Bernardi to discuss wine making and his thoughts on current trends in the wine industry. What prompted you to pursue winemaking as a career? I got into winemaking very early, almost out of sheer luck. I attended UC Davis intending to study Italian, without any knowledge of its reputation in the wine industry. On the first day of freshman orientation, I was walking through the halls of the Winkler Building, which I would come to know and love, and met Jim Wolpert, then chair of the Viticulture and Enology department. I must have looked lost because he struck up a conversation, and suggested I take a look at studying wine. I was intrigued, and was impressed by the major’s field of study. I was attracted to the diverse and extensive coursework, including plant biology, fermentation science, microbiology, physics, economics, business, and foreign languages, and added V & E as a double major. I was hooked after my first harvest internship at Gundlach Bundschu and knew that wine would be my life’s work.

IntoWine recently caught up with george wine company's winemaker and founder, George Levkoff to discuss wine making and his thoughts on current trends in the wine industry. What prompted you to pursue winemaking as a career? I became a winemaker as a result of an epiphany I had at dinner in late 1994. The restaurant was Joe’s in Venice, CA, and the meal was tuna foie gras. My friend Mark brought along two bottles of pinot noir from Williams Selyem, Rochioli Vineyard 1991 & 1992. The meal which I had many times before, never tasted better, and I proclaimed that one day I would make wine like this in Healdsburg, a town I had never visited. Four years later I sold my house and quit my job, and moved to Healdsburg.

What's an appropriate wine to serve at a Baltimore Orioles themed party? What wine would be a good gift for a hard core Orioles fan? Even a short visit to Baltimore will reveal an important fact about Charm City's residents. They are stubbornly passionate about the things that matter. And, in Baltimore, sports teams definitely matter, particularly the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. As Opening Day approaches each year, news reporters file stories on Orioles veterans, rookies and coaches, on the menu and management of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the city's iconic stadium, its groundskeepers and staffers and on hopes for the new baseball season. The city and its residents adorn themselves with Orioles orange and black. With every Baltimore spring comes a renewed flowering of Orioles mania, an enthusiasm that diehard O's fans carry all the way through the season and playoffs.

IntoWine recently caught up with Pisoni Vineyard's winemaker Jeff Pisoni to discuss wine making and his thoughts on current trends in the wine industry. What prompted you to pursue winemaking as a career? Both my brother and I were fortunate to grow up around it. We were both very young when our father was already making wine and started planting vineyards. When only a few years old, Mark and I would “make wine” in mason jars and stomp grapes in old redwood fermentors that belonged to our great-grandparents. Seeing all this at a young age gave us an appreciation for winemaking and a desire to work with the family. I had always been very driven to the winemaking side, whereas my brother felt closer to the farming side. Now Dad watches over things but leaves the winemaking up to me and the viticulture to Mark.

IntoWine recently caught up with Chris Ball of 417 Wines, the producers of Tangent Cabernet Sauvignon, to discuss his foray into winemaking: How did your foray into winemaking come about? I was first really exposed to wine while studying Architecture in Sienna, Italy. After I came back I began developing a taste for what I appreciated, which in turn led to collecting wines, and eventually the desire to make wine…specifically wine in the image of what I enjoy. My good friend David Dain of Dain Wines has served as a mentor as well as consultant on our inaugural release of the two 2007’s