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?

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts their recommendation for one California Central Coast wine worth seeking out (but which won't break the bank): Tucked into the sun-drenched hills of Paso Robles, the vineyards and winery of L’Aventure continue to impress. Directing the project from the soil up is Stephan Asseo, a ‘renegade’ vigneron who understands that incredible wine must be and can only be a truthful expression of place. Never short on sensibility, Asseo planted his warm Central Coast vineyards to Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon , and Petit Verdot in the late 1990’s and has since been reaping the benefits. Find L'Aventure Wines During a recent visit to the estate, I had the pleasure of tasting the 2006 L'Aventure Optimus , a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot. This is a big, big wine that is as friendly and approachable when young as it is soft, supple and voluptuous while it ages. If you can find it, try it. This wine frequently sells out and is highly sought after. (About $45) - Benjamin Spencer , a diploma student with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, writes for IntoWine.com about wine from a winemaker's perspective.

Attend the 2009 Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting March 22 in San Francisco 10. Spit in public! The best way to appreciate samples of some of the 500 or so wines available from about 125 American wineries is to use the provided spit cups in front of about 2,000 utter strangers. Well, it’s ok to swallow some of your very favorites. But using the spit cups most of the time sure enhances the experience and lets you enjoy a great dinner in San Francisco afterwards.

The region of Tuscany makes many outstanding and well knows wines. Intowine.com has already explored Super Tuscans , Chianti ,...

Cheap Wine is Au Courant With all our economic woes, it is nice to know you can cut back on wine, without having to “cut back on wine,” if you know what I mean. Bargains are everywhere these days, with many premium wines actually lowering their prices to retail outlets. But you can also find excellent quality wines and hidden gems in the under $25 range. And my philosophy is that price does not always dictate quality when it comes to good wine.

When it comes right down to it, a ‘bad wine’ can almost always be attributed to a flaw in the winemaking . A multitude of influences can determine how intense a wine is and thus how it is perceived by the taster, but the actual act of making wine is the catalyst between the grape and the glass – between plonk and quality wines. Anyone can squeeze grapes to make juice, let it ferment, and settle. That’s the easy part, and it’s quite natural – ever left a container of juice in the fridge too long?

Spanish wine expert Julian Jeffs calls Terra Alta "a place to watch." Winemakers in this remote northeastern region have set their sights high. They hope to make Terra Alta a star player on the international winemaking stage, following in the footsteps of their neighbors from Priorat. With wine lovers around the world focusing on value as well as quality, Terra Alta's winemakers have an opportunity to do just that.