328tina

I just had two "corky wine experiences" during a visit to the Okanagan Valley in B.C. (some great Pinot Gris/Blanc being produced in that area, by the way!) In two different tasting rooms, I was given a wine to taste that was obviously corked. When I pointed it out to the folks behind the bar, they checked for themselves and found I was right. Then it dawned on them--to their horror--that they had been pouring these wines for dozens of people (the bottles were almost empty) and NOBODY NOTICED! That is the wine producer's worst nightmare, and one of the main reasons they switch over to other closures, like screwcaps.

No spicy food? Maybe it would be easier to get a new bf... just kidding! Here are some of my favorites in the Avenues: Q (Clement/4th Ave.) -- Get your booty in there as soon as possible for great mac & cheese, fish tacos, fried chicken, you name it. Huge portions and something for everyone. Fun & funky atmosphere. Bella (3rd Ave/Geary) -- All the pastas are homemade, and are in the $10 range. Great service and a romantic trattoria feel. Cajun Pacific (Irving/27th Ave.) --Yeah, it's cajun food, but not necessarily spicy. Get the gulf shrimp po' boy (as good or better than in New Orleans, about $6). Ass-kicking bread pudding too. Yum. Happy eating!

Funny how some people think of $50+ bottles as "best buys," whereas others think of a much lower price-point. On that note, here are some good sparklers under $10: Paul Chaneau (Spain) - not sure if I spelled that right Rotari Brut NV and Rose NV (Italy) Segura Viudas Aria Brut (Spain) Cheap n' tasty.

I went a couple weeks ago for a friend's birthday. The place looks like any of the other small restaurants in Chinatown--I wouldn't have given it a second look if I hadn't already heard about it. It's a good idea to go with someone who speaks some Mandarin. My friend speaks a little Cantonese, but it didn't help much. (As for English, forget about it.) Even with lots of gesturing and pointing, it was difficult to communicate with the servers. (We eventually ended up getting our own beers from the refrigerator and opening our own bottles of wine, which, by the way, you can bring along without a corkage fee!) As for the food, it was a great adventure. I still don't know what some of the dishes were (which was part of the fun), but they were all light, fresh and unlike the Chinese food you'll get anywhere else. Definitely check it out!

I always find it hilarious when those who drink their coffee "black" think themselves superior to people who don't. Does that make you more "manly" or something? I'm definitely in the "milk, sugar and salty snacks" camp, but I don't know what that says about my taste in wine. Do I prefer sweet wines and buttery Chards? Nope. I love all types of wine, from big, hairy tannic Cabs to luscious dessert wines.

Enough about the feta already! What about the use of place names like Champagne, Burgundy, etc.? Lots of people argue that it's "legal" for us to use those terms--and yes, it is--but is it misleading to consumers? Is it capitalizing on the reputation for quality built up by people in these regions for centuries? Me thinks so. Yes, we do have the "sparkling wine" term here in the U.S., but some American producers refuse to use it because consumers perceive "Champagne" as being of better quality. Would we let the Bulgarians call a wine Napa Cabernet? No way in hell, right? A Napa winery association is having a fit as we speak because a California wine producer outside of Napa uses the word in its brand names.

Hi there, winos. I'm taking a little survey about wine advertising. Flip through a copy of the Spectator, or whatever wine mags you read, and check out the ads. Do you like them? Hate 'em? Think they could be better? Which ones do you like best? Thanks for your input!