I learned to cook from my Mom, cooking programs on PBS, and a wide range of authors whose books perched on the kitchen shelves, patiently waiting for the moment they were needed. We reached for these books frequently, usually three and four at a time, spreading them across the kitchen table to compare ingredients and techniques. We had a rule – always follow the recipe as it was written the first time, then we could improvise. Of course, we broke this rule frequently,

Writing these articles about both well-known and somewhat obscure Italian wines has been fun. Now, however, it is time to shift it into high gear and discuss perhaps Italy’s greatest wine - Barolo. If there were a competition for the best wine in the world, and each country got one entry, my pick for Italy would be to enter a Barolo. Preferably, an aged Barolo, from a great vintage, made by a traditional producer. I would be comfortable matching these wines up against the best from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa or anywhere else in the world. Starting with this article and over the next few articles, the wines of Barolo will be examined including the traditional versus modern debate among producers and the vineyards themselves.

Looking to take a guided tour of a winery production facility or the vineyards themselves? IntoWine.com has scoured Sonoma County to find the wineries that offer tours. The list below is in no particular order. Benziger Family Winery Glen Ellen - Benziger is a must see destination spot for people planning a Sonoma winery tour. Beautiful, with a "Garden of Eden" feel to it, Benziger offers just about everything you can want in a winery experience with great wines, beautiful gardens, grand views, bio-diversity, hourly tours, picnic grounds, and even a playground for the kids. More... .

So, you have decided to build a wine room in the house. Maybe climate controlled, maybe not, but definitely with enough wood racks to hold a few hundred bottles.

So, you couldn’t resist and bought more wine than you have space to properly store? You have three options: drink it all before it goes bad, acquire a wine refrigerator for the house, or find an off-site wine storage facility.

As we roll into fall and winter, thoughts of roaring fires, cashmere sweaters, and elegant dinner parties are filling my head. And with this in mind, “Red on Reds” is taking a slight detour into the sumptuous world of dessert wines: What are they, what do they pair well with, and how sweet is sweet?

A great wine tourist area and even a few exceptional wines Earlier this month, I took my wife and kids and we spent a few days vacationing in the Finger Lakes. For those of you who don’t know, the Finger Lakes comprise a region in western New York State. These lakes are remnants of the glaciers retreat at the end of the last ice age. They are long and thin and run north south.

There is truly no better gig than working in a tasting room. It if were possible for me to afford the bloated Bay Area cost of living on those few ducats per hour – I’d make pouring wine a full-time profession. For the most part, everyone person you see or talk to is happy – either on vacation or taking a day of hedonistic pleasure. Your job? To enhance that pleasure and make sure every guest has a great experience at your winery.

This article is Part II of a two part series by Céline Guillou. Part I, "Green Wine: What Does "Green" Mean? Does it Taste Better?", can be viewed here . Organic Wine For many years, the simple mention of “organic wine” inspired a less than enthusiastic reaction from wine consumers, who generally viewed purveyors of organic wine as “tree-huggers”.

It goes without saying that “green” is the new red. Talk of “green” is all over the media and fast spreading to every industry – food, automotive, home improvement, and now wine. But when it comes to wine, does “green” really taste better? And, more importantly, what does it actually mean?