What is pregnancy for if not to practice my wine spitting skills? Here are some handy tricks and tips I’ll be trying out — and I invite you to do the same.

What exactly is a “Genius Wine Master”? And is it possible–or even desirable–to become one?

Brand-spanking new to wine and not sure what you like? Here’s my handy guide to pointing you in the right direction, based on beverages you already know and love (and with a nod to those great Designer Imposter ads of the 1980s.)

Drinking wine is easy. Tasting it is hard. That’s why I’m introducing The Tastemaker, an occasional series on STBNY about the challenges, joys and mysteries of wine tasting.

I like to tell people that wine isn’t as complicated as it’s made out to be. And that’s usually the case … except, of course, when it’s not. Take, for example, Bonarda.

Viognier is the finest white wine grape of the Rhône. These are wines with meat on their bones.

There’s obscure, and then there’s obscure.

Sorry for the lofty title, but it’s been a culturally edifying few days here at STBNY. On Sunday I went to the Metropolitan Museum and on Monday, we saw our friend perform in an opera. Delightful experiences both, they got me thinking about — what else? — wine. Specifically, about the importance of paying attention.

Wine, like people, wants to live within a narrow temperature range. I often get questions about the right temperature for wine storage, but the more pressing question for most of us is the ideal temperature for serving wine.

My latest entry: Zweigelt. A crisp, easy-drinking red from Austria, it’s a great match for the kind of rib-sticking cuisine that makes winter bearable.