Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron
Believe it or not, this is my favorite Bordeaux. I like the style, I like the winemaking philosophy and I find the wine to be a tremendously sexy red no matter the vintage. A Cab-dominated blend, it has layers of dark berries, tobacco and vanilla. Though it is a big wine, it tends toward a softness in the mouth.

Jekel Riesling
This was the first wine I ever tasted and it definitely changed my life. Suddenly, wine wasn't the thing that held up dinner when my parents took me to restaurants, but a taste to make the meal that much better. I still love this wine for its simplicity and sweetness.

Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling
I'm a sucker for a sweet wine and this is one of Australia's greatest. It has wonderful acidity for a dessert wine, which makes it dangerously easy to drink. The grapes, which are pressed partially dried, offer intense floral and citrus aromas and flavors. Yum.

A. Rafanelli Zinfandel
A Dry Creek Valley cult wine, it can be a tough little number to find. Unlike most of today's Zins, the Raffanelli has always maintained balance. Its gorgeous blackberry and black cherry flavors are bright but restrained. There is also plenty of spice but none of that peculiar peppery quality that catches at the back of your throat.

Salon
If wine tasting was an Olympic sport, this is the gold metal winner for Champagne. A distinctive Blanc de Blanc, its staggering price is worth every penny. The wine is full-bodied and sophisticated beyond compare with a complex array of aromas and flavors from fresh bread to melted butter to citrus zest to wild mushrooms.

Venturi-Schulze Millecolore
This unusual white blend from Vancouver Island in Canada is as pretty as a Monet and as elegant as Grace Kelly. A floral and exotic “summer wine,” Millecolore makes a great late afternoon cool down or the perfect accompaniment to a light supper.

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