I always enjoy reading Art Buchwald's annual Thanksgiving column, in which he explains our national holiday to the French. It is, he rightly says, "the one day when Americans eat better than the French do." But I notice that in describing how it all began, he avoids mentioning any wines to go with the meal.

Bill Shepard attended the 1996 Bordeaux First Growths dinner -- a black tie event held annually in the U.S. Read his account of which 1996 wines from the five chateaux in Bordeaux hold the most promise. You'll also pick up some tips on how to taste, store, and pair wines with a meal!

Bill Shepard offers some suggestions on Rhone wines and the meals they compliment.

There is no reason not to give wine for Christmas presents. Unlike another sweater, you can be sure that a well chosen wine present isn't going to languish in a drawer.

Summer wines are like summer reading. It's a time to relax and enjoy yourself, soak up some heat and sunshine, and plan your outdoor meals with some refreshing wines to match.

Sauternes is a sweet wine usually drunk with desserts, and in our weight conscious world that is the problem. Named for the region south of Bordeaux where the wine was produced and perhaps invented (some say the process was invented in Hungary), it was an indispensable favorite at the turn of the century, when nobody who could afford it counted calories. Now it is emerging once again. It deserves to be part of your wine world.

To ring in the New Year, most everyone drinks champagne. But to remember any important event, savor a fine glass of cognac after your Millennium dinner. Here's a guide to some of the best.

The Medoc region north of Bordeaux, a narrow peninsula some 50 miles long, lies between the Gironde River and the Atlantic Ocean. It is the site of probably the world's most famous wine classification, that of 1855, which still flourishes today.

I'll confess to a strong bias in favor of Bordeaux red wines. They are, properly aged and savored, among the finest in the world. But there are problems for many who would like to enjoy them. They have gotten very expensive. The classification system is either too complex and out of date (the standard 1855 classification) or too simplistic (number scores). Can't we make this easier, and more helpful?