100% without irony, I have always loved “very special” holiday-themed television programming, so here’s my addition to the canon with a brief list of what I’m thankful for, STBNY-style.

As promised, Paul and I had a “friend-giving” potluck, where we invited over a bunch of friends for a pre-holiday dinner. We road-tested several wines that I think would go nicely with a variety of turkey feasts.

Saturday night’s Spin the Bottle launch event at Heights Chateau was, if I do say so myself, quite the success. There was a great crowd, the folks at Heights were so kind to let me host my event there, Sarah’s flowers were lovely, and oh yes, the wines.

It’s not easy to recommend Thanksgiving wines because it’s such a wildly varied meal. So instead of specific picks, here are some guidelines I like to follow when choosing and serving wine for the holiday.

Many thanks to all of you for being a part of this fledgling STBNY community. You’re all invited to celebrate with me at a tasting this Saturday, November 14, from 5-7 pm at Heights Chateau …

Sadly, my lifestyle and my wallet don’t lend themselves to as much Champagne consumption as I would like. Fortunately for me (and you), there are some much more accessible options that should come in very handy as we approach this Recession-challenged holiday season.

I’m picking out wines for my tasting, which has been a pretty fun enterprise. The latest contender is this Mouressipe Cuvée Càcous ($22), from the Languedoc, a huge wine-producing region in southern France.

During a 50-hour whirlwind trip to Northern California, I squeezed in a quick trip to Spring Mountain, home to some of my favorite reds.

Even though I’m all about making wine accessible, I have to admit to some inside baseball, wine geek tendencies. One of the geekiest is my love — obsession, really — with Madeira.

Even in a place as beautiful as Bandol, winemaking is really hard work. Our visit to Castell-Reynoard, a small, family-owned, property, was a great reminder of what a tough job this can be.