Update: IntoWine has partnered with the California Wine Club to offer you great deals on Aged Cabernet Sauvignon...

White Burgundy VINTAGE RATING STATUS 2009 90 D/H 2008 87 D/H 2007 92 D/H 2006 90 D/H 2005 94 D/H 2004 90 D 2003 85 D 2002 93 D/H 2001 90 D/H 2000 88 D 1999 89 D 1998 86 D 1997 85 D 1996 92 D/H 1995 90 D 1994 81 D 1993 80 D 1992 94 D Vintage Charts should be used for a generalized guide in lieu of...

Red Burgundy 2010 90 D/H 2009 94 H 2008 88 D/H 2007 85 D 2006 89 D/H 2005 97 H 2004 85 D 2003 87 D 2002 96 D/H 2001 90 D/H 2000 88 D 1999 96 D/H 1998 88 D 1997 84 D 1996 93 D/H 1995 90 D/H 1994 78 D 1993 82 D 1992 88 D 1991 86 D 1990 91 D/H 1989 87 D Vintage Charts should be used for a generalized...

Update: IntoWine has partnered with the California Wine Club to offer you great deals on Aged Cabernet Sauvignon...

Restaurant wine lists come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Knowing how to navigate through one is key to successful wining rather than fumbling your way without a compass. Fortunately, I do have experience with wine lists: creating, writing, designing, and reorganizing them. Even though my experience as a fine wine consultant bodes confidence in this task, sometimes even those in the know, don’t. I’ve been overwhelmed many times by wine lists. Long-story-short -- My husband and I and our close friends were at a swanky Italian restaurant in New York City.

The history of wine -while certainly encompassing the evolution of viniculture- touches upon many aspects of society. Wine is, in simple terms, a beverage but it is also an industry, a culture, a valuable natural resource, a symbol of status (to some), and an inspiration for both art and architecture. The books noted below each examine a different but unique angle of wine history and are worth checking out. For anthropology buffs, Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture by Patrick McGovern examines the earliest stages of vinicultural history and how wine is interwoven with human culture through centuries of change.

Challenge: Name what some have termed the five “noble wines” of France and Italy—those special regions whose depth, expression, tradition, and class have historically set the gold standard for distinguished wines and up-and-comers alike. Hint: They all begin with the letter “B.” If you have a basic knowledge of the world of wine, you’ll quickly come up with the first two answers: Bordeaux and Burgundy, the most famous of French appellations and perhaps the best known wine regions on earth.

Along the spectrum of Sherries, there’s one that differs substantially from its sweeter counterparts. One that distinguishes itself as the only fortified wine that could be enjoyed, glass half-full, on a summer day. One that, in my opinion, really has no business being served after dinner with dessert.

These days, thanks to America’s undying love of dining out, being a professional chef is sometimes akin to being a celebrity. Well, minus the money and fame, of course. When I say celebrity, I’m referring mostly to the reactions that chefs can sometimes get from other people. Even then, I’m not really talking about screaming fans or anything of that nature. It’s a very subtle thing, really, but I am still amazed by how interested some people are to meet a chef -- even an everyday chef -- like me.

“I love talking about wine,” says David Carreon, the new sommelier at Wild Salmon, a novel restaurant opening in New York this spring that will feature Pacific Northwest food and wines. Carreon’s love affair with wine drew notice from Jeffrey Chodorow, whose company owns restaurants not only in New York but Las Vegas, LA, Miami, and even London and Mexico City, while Carreon was the Wine Director at Ray’s Boathouse. Ray’s, a seafood restaurant that has become one of the destination spots in the Pacific Northwest, has garnered a reputation as a wine trendsetter, earning the respect of regional vintners and customers alike.