A few days ago, I celebrated one of those “milestone” birthdays. You know, the ones with a zero or five at the end of the (hopefully) two-digit number. Fortunately, my husband lifted me out of my “I’m aging” depression with a truly wonderful gift: a box of carefully-selected German wines. Huh? Who drinks German wine, anyway? It’s not popular. And all the bottles have nuns on them, right?

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Dry rosé wine has long been appreciated in Europe, especially the south of France. Rosés from the Rhone Valley and elsewhere in Provence have been highly regarded for generations. These rosés are popular with the local cuisine (think garlic, tomato, fish, shellfish, poultry, game, dry sausages, olives, fresh vegetables, basil, etc.), especially during the summer months when a chilled glass is particularly refreshing.

Sure, I know that I’m technically supposed to be writing about the sights, sounds and happenings of a Russian River Valley tasting room, but the way I see it, my real assignment is to simply provide good wine tales. This month, it just so happens that my most interesting wine experience occurred in an altogether different valley – the valley floor of Telluride, Colorado.

The region of Umbria sits landlocked in the center of Italy. With Tuscany to the Northwest, the Marches to the East and Latium with Rome to the South West, it is a beautiful region that sometimes gets lost in the conversations about Italy. Umbria has one wine that gets some international recognition; their famous white wine Orvieto. In fact, many agri-tourismo wineries surround the quaint medieval town of Orvieto which has become something of a destination for a few relaxing days while touring Italy. But, there is also a red, Sagrantino di Montefalco, which also hails from Umbria that is worth putting on your radar.

Now that it’s actually getting warm here in Seattle, it’s time for those delicious Summertime meals – lots of fresh vegetables, salads, and seafood. Normally, I watch my food budget very carefully, but when the farmer’s markets are rocking the produce, I fill up my bag with abandon and gather friends around to enjoy the light fresh flavors of the fields, rivers and ocean. While some people drink red wine year around, I match my wines to the season and, of course, the food.

“Biodynamics is a religious fervor that has nothing to do with growing grapes,” said one Napa winery owner. A November 2006 poll by Decanter Magazine showed that 52 percent of respondents thought that biodynamics was, “a load of horse manure.” Biodynamics sounds alternative and hip, but is it? Two wineries in Santa Barbara, Melville and Presidio, employ biodynamic practices and help shed some light on this complex idea of farming.

You could call Cameron Hughes a liberator of great wine. Born and bred in the wine business, Hughes is wiping away the traditional -and grossly inefficient- customs that govern the wine industry by embracing his passion. That passion? Sourcing great wine under the Cameron Hughes label and selling it -at an affordable price- direct to the consumer. No middle men driving up the price.

For a native from Michigan who never had a sip of wine until he moved to California in 1977, John Hoddy is making wines that are both outstanding and innovative for Bray Vineyards in Amador County. Working closely with renowned consultant Marco Cappelli, Hoddy has produced numerous award winning wines made from traditional Italian and Portuguese grapes, such as barbera, primitivo, verdelho, and vinho tinto, in addition to wines more typical of California, such as zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. I had the pleasure of speaking with this laid-back, jovial, banker-turned-winemaker recently in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.

Who was Dom Pérignon? Do you know the common European term for zinfandel? What is the predominant grape variety in Tuscany? Test your wine knowledge and see just how much you really know wine by taking our wine quiz.

A couple years ago as I was starting my own small lot winery in the neighborhood, I heard excited rumblings about a new San Francisco based festival called Pinot Days. It sounded like one of the many small quaint shows typical of Northern California, featuring some local wines, a little food, and attended by casual wine fans; the type of show I might attend if I happened to find myself in the area.