Take a break from tradition this holiday season
Mother Nature is, just at the moment, being very kind to wine lovers. Most everyone knows about the heralded 2000 vintage in Bordeaux, which has sent demand (and prices) into orbit.

Savoring the holiday season
Each year, in my neck of the woods, we face virtually the same phenomenon: summer finally lets loose its grip on my valley, but only just in time to usher in the Holiday Season. This year, admittedly, fall and its colorful leaves were unusually tardy, but the same pattern repeats itself, more or less, each year. As a result, we are charged with the task of translating our lives into holiday mode fairly quickly, and without much time for lying about. There are meals to plan, parties to attend, places to go and people to see. Hosts and hostesses: start your engines.