Do you have painful memories of "California Chablis?" Treat yourself to the real thing! A chilled bottle or two from a good French producer will be a revelation, and, according to wine expert Bill Shepard, a pleasantly affordable one -- for the time being.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 November 2009 )

Armagnac is the brandy of Gascony, and has been distilled since the early years of the 15th century. As such, it was surely a favorite of Charles de Batz, born in 1615 at the Chateau de Castelmore near Eauze -- better known to readers as D'Artagnan of Three Musketeers fame.

Last Updated ( Friday, 16 October 2009 )

Do you want to start building a wine cellar on a budget? In this column, Bill Shepard suggests two strategies for cutting costs.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 November 2009 )

Picture this. You're in a wine store, trying to choose between wines for dinner. You have read what the wine writers have to say, and note that many of them are assigning scores to the wine. You narrow it down to two wines.

Last Updated ( Friday, 16 October 2009 )

The Bordeaux classification of 1855 was silent on the wines of St. Emilion and Pomerol, probably for reasons of commercial jealousy. The wine merchants of the Medoc controlled the selection of wines that were classified for the 1855 exposition in Paris. They were not about to give equal consideration to their rivals from across the Gironde River.

Last Updated ( Friday, 16 October 2009 )

As Beaujolais is a summer wine, so Chateauneuf du Pape is a perfect wine for colder weather. The romantic might imagine that their glass holds something of Provence, and that is a cheering thought. Certainly Chateauneuf, a town near Orange and Avignon, slumbers in intense summer heat, storing up that intensity in the grapes that are carefully grown there.

Last Updated ( Friday, 16 October 2009 )

2000 vintage Bordeaux wines: They will be sure to be increased before long, so better buy them while they remain available.

Last Updated ( Friday, 16 October 2009 )

Those who are familiar with this column know that I do not like point scores for wines. They reward the taste of the wine reviewer (which may not be the same as your own), and they are misleading. They do not tell you when a wine is ready to be drunk, or what foods it goes with, or even, on a comparative basis, which wine might be a better buy. That is because wines develop maturity at different times. Last Updated ( Thursday, 02 April 2009 )