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Wine & Dine with Style

Looking good is one thing but if you can't hold your own with all of those urban wine snobs, not even the hottest Jimmy Choo heels will carry you. This is the first in a series of wine entries to bring you up to speed fast, so the next fundraiser, dinner party, etc. you attend you can hold your head up high.

<a href="http://belisi.typepad.com/handbags_shoes_jewelry/wine/index.html">Wine</a> 101: Wine Varieties and Regions

<table cellspacing="0" width="462" border="1" style="WIDTH: 462px; HEIGHT: 1419px"><tbody><tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Chardonnay</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">A popular grape originally grown in France; now produced all over the world. It is one of the most available and versatile white winesÑand because of this finding a Chardonnay you like takes patience. A good Chardonnay can be creamy or dry, oaky or crisp. It all depends on your personal preferences. </td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Riesling</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Germany/France (Alsace)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Found in sweet wines from Germany and Alsace. Also widely planted in Austria and Australia. Riesling is a sweet standalone wine as well as a component of many dessert wines.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Sauvignon Blanc</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Bordeaux)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Generally produced in Sauternes and Barsac regions, this grape makes a light, pleasant white wine.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">GewŸrztraminer</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Alsace)/Germany</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Literally meaning, "spice from Tramin", this sweet grape is also known for its spiciness. Mostly produced in the Alsace region of France but also in Germany, New Zealand, California, New York, Canada and Australia.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Chenin Blanc</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Loire Valley)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">This is a classic French variety used in some of the world's best and longest-living sweet wines.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Pinot Gris</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Widely planted in France, this variety is light-bodied, lean, crisp and acidic. This grape is also planted in Italy, Germany, Hungary and Oregon in the US. It is frequently referred to as Pinot Grigio in Italy and the United States.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Viogner</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Rhone Valley)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">A full-bodied, aromatic white grape variety that is growing in popularity in the US.</td>

<h4>Red Table Wine Varieties</h4></td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Cabernet Franc</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Bordeaux)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Found in Bordeaux blends and Loire Valley reds.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Cabernet Sauvignon</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Bordeaux)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Grown throughout the world to produce well- structured, full-bodied red wines. It is a main component of Bordeaux reds.</td></tr>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Malbec</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">This wine has done well in Argentina and in France among Bordeaux blends. Wine stewards and wine drinkers have varying opinions of whether this variety is distinguished enough to be labeled a fine wine.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Merlot</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Bordeaux)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Originally planted in France, Merlot is readily available worldwide. A good Merlot features great softness and richness, however; its widespread availability can make selecting a quality Merlot challenging. Understanding the region and climate where the wine is produced will help in selecting a stable Merlot.</td></tr>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Pinot Noir</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Burgundy)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">A light skinned, aromatic variety, most famous as the variety of red Burgundy. Successfully grown throughout the new world.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Sangiovese</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Italy (Tuscany)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Widely planted throughout Italy. It is the principal variety used in Chianti but also can stand on its own. </td></tr>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Shiraz</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">France (Rhone)</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">A powerful variety, highly renowned in the Rhone region and more recently, Australia.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Tempranillo</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Spain</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">An important component of Rioja, with growing popularity as a stand-alone wine in America.</td>

<tr><td valign="middle" width="30%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Zinfandel</td>

<td valign="middle" width="23%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Italy</td>

<td valign="middle" width="47%" bgcolor="#ffffff">Substantial plantings in both California as well as Italy, where it is known as Primitivo.</td>

Check back for more wine edification, including how to taste wine, store wine, and pair wine with food and much more.

You know a good glass of wine when you taste it--the only problem is getting a good glass happens purely by chance. On occasion you get a recommendation that pans out, other times you close your eyes and point ay the wine list or grab the first bottle with a high Wine Spectator rating at your local liquor store. Learning how to choose wine according to your personal preferences, as well as how to pair it with food and select a wine to please a crowd is not as intimidating as it seems.

We're going to take you on a wine journey. The first lesson is wine varieties and their regions. Once you learn what's out there, you can begin your journey into the world of fine wine.Wine BasicsThere are many different types of wine, grape varieties, wine regions and vintages. Vintage is the easy one: vintage simply means the year that the grapes were harvested. Even the world's best wines have "off" years when the picking conditions are not ideal, resulting in a sub-par "vintage". Where vintage gets complex is determining which wines have aging potential and which ones should be drunk young. We'll touch on that topic later.

Wine grape varieties represent only a fraction of the more than 600 kinds of grapes. Each grape variety has unique characteristics such as color, size, skin thickness, acidity, yield per vine and flavor. There are many grape varieties used to make wine but only a few grapes are suitable for making fine wine. Below is a chart listing some of the most popular fine wine varieties, where they come from and their notable characteristics. Grape Varieties and their Regions<h4>White Wine Varieties</h4>

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