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.

Bordeaux. The word conjures up everything elegant and rich and confusing and unknown if you’re the normal semi-literate wine snob-in-training, like me. The confusing and unknown aspects are part of the reason why so many Americans don’t enjoy these crown jewels of the wine world and the elegant and rich parts are why so many Americans should enjoy these wines. That being said, Bordeaux wines ARE confusing. I have no idea how to pronounce the names of all those Chateaux in the first place, except in the rather pathetic French accent I stole from Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau character.

Italian wine regions and areas can be classified multiple times over, depending on the area, the climate, the history, the grapes, and through an infinite number of other ways. The following description of 7 Italian regions is meant to provide a basic guide, which will be supplemented in articles to come. The 7 regions consist of Veneto and Piedmont (to the North), Tuscany, Campania, Apulia, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily (to the South).

Let’s pretend that I once had a friend named George. George was a Silicon Valley type, who made a boatload of money at his code-writing job right out of grad school. Being the bachelor that he was, living with a former college roommate, and not giving much thought to trivial matters like personal appearance or fancy-pants vacations, George soon found himself with lots of disposable income and too few hobbies to spend it on. So he turned to wine.

When I think of Napa Valley, it mostly, well, makes sense. It is clearly defining geographically—basically one straight shot 30 miles long and 5 miles wide. It has a clear varietal leader—in Napa, of course, Cab is King. It is straightforward logistically, with two roads running the length of the valley, and the occasional cross street linking the two. From Google Earth, it looks like a ladder. Then there’s Sonoma County. It’s often mistakenly referred to by novices as Sonoma Valley, perhaps because that would make it easier to understand.

Wine and chocolate seems like the perfect combination—two beautiful concepts wedded to create gustatory bliss. And it can be that way. The right chocolate paired with the perfect wine can create a near-orgasmic taste experience. But the wrong wine opposite a too-sweet chocolate creates nothing but horror. A bad pairing can turn an otherwise fabulous dessert to tree bark and a rare vintage to battery acid.

No country has a greater love affair with the art of winemaking than France. The passion with which the French enjoy a perfect food and wine pairing is an absolutely unparalleled experience. The average American can’t possibly understand the rooted history of this obsession, or the extent to which the French have gone to preserve their winemaking heritage. These folks are serious about many things, but none play second fiddle to the fermentation of the all-mighty grape. Swoop into any world-famous or mom and pop restaurant in France, and you’ll likely spy the volumes of bottles way before you lay eyes on the food. Chef superstars like Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon wouldn’t dream of a prix fixe extravaganza without the ideal wine accompaniments for each and every dish.