I know that I have warned you against buying bottles based on how much you like the label, which was something that I did with alarming frequency as a newbie. But, sometimes when I am at a good wine shop where I know and trust the buyer, I will indulge my love of beautiful labels. This bottle falls squarely within that category with it’s abstract label that provided a lovely contrast to the wine bottle itself. Luckily, this time, I won and bought a bottle that was not only lovely on the outside, but lovely on the inside as well.

2012 is here! We’d been waiting for it, watching it creep upon us but for some reason, it’s still surprising when it actually gets here. Now that the hoopla has died down, we have been thinking about what will be popular on the wine and spirits front in 2012

As you know, I love all wine but I have a soft spot in my heart for Italian wine. While I enjoy the acidity and bright fruit flavors that most Italian wines exhibit, I love the passion that Italians, and particularly Italian winemakers, have for wine. It’s infectious. The Italians vinify varietals that 99.9% of the population has never heard of, including a number that date back to ancient Rome and the Greeks. The Italians do tons of crazy stuff with their grapes – the same grape could be vinified still or sparkling or left to dry on straw mats for sweet wine. Plus, the difference in wine culture from North to South is stark and reflected in the wines themselves.

We are pitting Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Cabernet Sauvignon stalwart Napa Valley against Sonoma, its upstart, funkier neighbor to the West. Napa and Sonoma are separated by the Mayacamas Mountains.

If you think the drinks on cruise ships are all watered down Piña Coladas for fuddie duddies, then think again. Cruise ships are sailing with a wide and deep array of fine wines, craft beers and state-of-the-art cocktails.

This is a fun and flirty wine offered at an amazing price. While we were sent a sample of this wine, it retails for roughly $20 for a three liter box (4 bottles), which translates into $5 a bottle. It’s tough getting a good wine for $5 and this wine delivers. Plus, we really like the fact that it comes in an eco-conscious box with a spout, which made it the perfect wine for a family gathering.

Tonight marks the Feast of the Seven Fishes in some Italian families. Others will choose to celebrate tomorrow. But, it occurred to us that there will be a great deal of fish and seafood consumed in the next week as Christmas morphs into New Year’s. Our own family traditions have come to include heaping amounts of San Francisco’s local dungeness crab. For Christmas, we make the local San Francisco seafood stew – Ciopinno – a medley of seafood and fish in a spicy tomato broth. For New Year’s, we get a smorgasbord of local shellfish – crab, shrimp, oysters and clams (if you are on top of things, order from Swan’s Oyster Depot, which has been slinging seafood in San Francisco for 100 years). What goes better with seafood and fish than white wine.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

The holidays are upon us and almost over. We have come up with lists of wine, booze and books to buy friends and foes for the holidays. In you are in need of last minute gifts, check out our recommendations.

In Twas The Night Before Christmas, it was sugerplums that danced in the children’s head. But, when I think of Christmas, I think of ham dancing across the dinner table. Ham seems to be as ubiquitous to Christmas as Turkey is to Thanksgiving. That got me thinking, what wines would go well with ham. Since Christmas is such a festive holiday, I wanted the wine to be festive as well. And, what could be more festive than sparkling wine.

The holidays are here! Today is the second night of Hanukkah with Christmas and Kwanzaa just around the corner. Plus, don’t forget New Year’s! We know that the rush to buy gifts for family members, friends and co-workers is in full swing. One short week after that, the pressure is on to bring a great bottle of wine to your New Year’s party. These wines are a great answer to your holiday gift giving quandary and will sure to be a hit at the New Year’s party.

Whether planning for a special holiday celebration or a casual weekday dinner, it is always great to find a way to save money on wine.

With the holidays upon us, it makes me think of Christmas and my wish lists of yore. It also makes me ponder how my adult would look. I thought about it and thought about. As an avowed oenophile, I decided that my adult wish list would be filled with amazing wines from around the world. The only drawback to my wishlist is that you might only get them if Santa has a very good year.

This week’s high/low picks come from the famed French wine producing areas of Burgundy and Bordeuax.

As the warm weather turns cold, I turn my attention to bigger fruity red wines. For some reasons, big red wines brings comfort. Maybe it’s because big red wines go so well with stews and heavy meat dishes, winter staples.

This weekend, we are focusing on one of my favorite Champagne houses – Taittinger. Not only does Tattinger make its namesake Tattinger Champagne, it also owns the California winery Domaine Carneros, which makes California sparkling wines in the champagne style.

Today’s Wine Wednesday selection comes from Mexico. Mexico? Yep. Mexico. The L.A. Cetto 2007 Zinfandel is from Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, Mexico. Located northeast of Ensenada, the Valle de Guadalupe is Mexico’s largest wine producing region.

I don’t know where you are, but where I am it’s damn cold! Here are 10 hot drinks that will warm you up: Evening Nectar: Orange vodka is the base for this sweet and lightly spiced hot drink. Texan Hot…

By night, I work at a high end restaurant where I pour amazing wines. While I love wine from all over the world, my passion is for food friendly wines that serve to enhance the dining experience and what people are eating!

With much fanfare, Wine Spectator announced their top 100 wines of 2011. Not surprisingly, the list was dominated by American, Italian and French selections, as well as representations from a number of other countries, such as Spain, South Africa and Australia. The majority of wines were in the $50 to $100 range with the top price topping out at $175 and the lowest at $9.